Fiber of Her Being

Quilt Your Love

2011-04-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hi, my friends. I wanted to let you know that Fiber of Her Being, LLC has a new name and address. Check it out at www.QuiltYourLove.com. You can also find me at a new email address myself: happykaybailey @ gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

-Kay

Wrapping it Up

2010-05-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hello, my friends.

This is the last post that I'll be making on this blog. Though I meant to turn this professional blog into a forum for writing about my creative life, I find that:

1. As my girls get older, I am less and less interested in posting family information on the Internet, and

2. As said girls get older, I find myself needing to streamline my extra-girl-icular activities. Blogging, for the moment, seems to be out.

Similarly, Fiber of Her Being is undergoing a transition as well. I have divided its activities into two camps:

1. The art quilting will now operate under the brand Quilt Your Love, which has its own fine art website and which I hope will garner some business and revenue, and

2. Making comfort pillows has always been my favorite part of this business, and so I will dedicate what is left of Fiber of Her Being to that. This isn't a money maker, but the rewards feed my soul. The Fiber of Her Being website now reflects the comfort pillow focus.

I have loved blogging here and on Achieving Conceiving, and look forward to the next project down the road, when I will be back in touch. In the meantime, be well and happy, and may there be peace and lots of fiber art on earth.

Love,

Kay

Commemorating Lamp's Light and Life

2010-03-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me where the name "Lamp" came from, or the kitty either, for that matter. But this sweetie lit up the life of its owner in Washington state. When Lamp passed away, a friend commissioned a soft, pretty pillow to commemorate the life of one soft, pretty little kitty.

Baby's First Christmas

2010-02-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

Sweet baby Juliana came just in time for Christmas, and so did this stocking and ornaments. What are babies for, if not to buy stuff to commemorate?

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

May you have a wonderful day, full of love and laughter.

Hot Couture

2010-02-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

A good friend solicited fancy bedding -- fancier than I usually do. And what fun it was! After much shopping (and rejecting and sending back and going elsewhere and begging store managers, etc.) we came up with this... so warm it's hot.

Snow Bunnies

2010-02-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

The sky has opened and several feet of snow have fallen on our town. We're getting a little tired of being inside, though being outside might be more trouble than it's worth. Especially if you're a baby who doesn't know how to walk.

I made the babies stay outside, however, until I had good pictures. Aren't you glad?

T-Shirts Across the U.S.A.

2010-01-30T17:25:00.000-08:00

Lots of marathons meant lots of t-shirts, and lots of love for the t-shirts meant that we couldn't cut them all up for the quilt. A lot of what you see here came from photographs of the t-shirts, which I then transferred onto jersey fabric with Lesley Riley's new Transfer Artist Paper ("TAP"). I don't want to say that using t-shirt stand-ins defeats the purpose of making a t-shirt quilt. Let's just say that this runner now has the best of both worlds: he can snuggle up under the quilt while wearing his original race trophies! Go, runner!

Hip to be Square

2010-01-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

I've never made a plain-old square t-shirt quilt before, but I like it. This one comprises t-shirts and letterman letters from three different generations! The grandson will be taking it to college with him. The Dodgers, Giants, Orioles, and XPlosion will keep him warm.

Take THAT, Infertility

2010-01-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

The babies turned one last week. They are now big girls, standing up and contemplating walking. They have voices of their own, though we don't know exactly what they're saying. Except for when Amanda says her one word: Clap.

Clap, clap, clap, clap. Yea for fertility science and a whole lot of luck!

Cousins at Christmas

2010-01-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Love Love

2010-01-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of making a "blessings pillow" for a woman who loved orange, and who loved her nephew, who apparently loved pumpkins. Too bad that in a fit of super-safety I blacked out his identity, because he is really cute. Much cuter than this pillow.

The Year of the Tardis

2010-01-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

My husband is a fan of Dr. Who. "Dr. Who?" you may ask: "Is he on First?" No, not that Who. I am talking about the Sci Fi series featuring the Time Lord who travels through the universe in a police call box (looks to me like a phone booth) called the TARDIS.

We've thought a lot about Dr. Who this weekend because a 48 hour Dr. Who marathon is playing for the new year. In fact, at 7:00 a.m. on January 1, 2010, I went downstairs to find James on the couch, asleep, with an episode still playing on TV. Thank God for Tivo. Dr. Who is like one of the family, and we'd hate to miss a second of him.

So you can imagine my glee when I found someone on Etsy.com seeking an artist to make her a TARDIS calendar. She had found this picture of a Dr. Who character with a TARDIS book: a book fashioned after the TARDIS phone booth vehicle. I responded to her inquiry, and my Dr. Who enthusiasm won me the job.

With a store-bought set of calendar pages, my own printed addition of a food/mood journal section for her, and a soft-sculpture cover, I made it reality.

I don't think James has ever been prouder. And here's what the buyer said:

"THANK YOU SO MUCH for your more than excellent work! If I had to dream the perfect thing it wouldn't have been so perfect!ThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyou!Merry Xmas!"

Mmmm. I love 2010.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-08T11:33:00.001-08:00

Fuzzy Girl and Fuzzy Cat on Fuzzy Pillow

2009-11-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

I had the great pleasure of making a fuzzy birthday pillow for one of my uncles-in-law. Because he's an Irishman in Chicago -- a cop no less! -- we were pretty much obliged us to go with a mostly-green color scheme. And as a girl with reddish hair myself, I find myself in possession of lots of green things, including three or four shades of green fleece.

So my fleece, my mother-in-law's initiative, and the birthday boy's gorgeous photos combined to make this pillow.

Don't worry: the ID blocker strips over their eyes are for internet use only. I've decided that I owe it to my clients and their loved ones to keep their faces off the world wild web. The recipient will actually be able to see and identify his granddaughter and cat. Yes, I'm relieved too.

The Reason I Had Babies

2009-11-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

You may remember that I like sewing. And possibly more than that, I like costumes. And despite what I said about evolutionary instincts, the real reason I wanted to have children was to be able to make Halloween costumes for them. Remember my Mr. Potato Head? Remember my awesome monarch butterfly?

So it comes as a great surprise to me that I did not make their Halloween costumes this year. Why?

First (and this might not surprise the wiser among you), having twin babies is a lot of work, and I don't have a lot of free time.

Second, having stocked up on five children's costumes already at consignment sales, I had a free treasure trove of available costumes. Free -- or already bought for 3 dollars each -- costumes are less expensive than buying fabric.

Third, how could I deny the world the chance to see Elisa as this particular bunny and Amanda as this particular pink poodle?

So maybe next year, when the girls have a little more idea what Halloween is, and are aware that they're wearing costumes at all, I'll make them something special. For this year, we did just fine.

Stamps of Approval

2009-10-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

When I went to camp for the Women's Weekend, one of the crafts I did in the Hobby Nook was stamp making, part of a class on Letterboxing. Letterboxing is a fabulous centuries-old hobby that involves following treasure-map-like instructions to find boxes people have hidden. Inside each box is a rubber stamp and a notebook. The finder herself brings a rubber stamp. As the guest, she stamps her mark in the notebook. Then she stamps the box's mark in her own book. Over time, collections develop -- within the box and in the participant's book.

Fastforward to my life. I don't get out on treasure hunts much these days. But I do appreciate the heck out of rubber stamps. In my class I made a lamb and a panda, for my Elisa Lamb and Amanda Panda. I printed them on postcards that I sent to the girls, the first postcards they ever received. (Come to think of it, I should show them the postcards so this isn't purely a from-me-to-me exercise).

Some day we'll get to step this up and go on real letterboxing adventures ourselves. For the moment, I'll let them nap while I build their baby books. I can't think of a better rainy day adventure than that.

Bringing a Wish to Life

2009-10-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine commissioned a portrait of her grandmother, whom she had never known but wanted to be close to. She found an old picture of her and I went from there.

On the computer I turned the black and white portrait to sepia, and printed it onto two surfaces: white cotton, and an acetate transparency. I colored some modest make-up onto the fabric picture with colored pencils. Then I sewed antique ribbons, luscious prints, and a rich velvet around her face, with decorative stitching to bring it all together. I layered the transparency photo ontop of the fabric for depth and shine, letting the cloth of her blouse show through a spot I cut out of the transparency. Then came the embellishments: a vintage earring here, a ribbon flower there. I put them all together in an oval frame encrusted with black buttons. Add a ribbon for hanging, and there she was, in all her splendor.

Her name was Maude. I was very glad to have the opportunity to spend time with her. And I was happier still to send her to live with her granddaughter. May they have many happy years.

Polymer Clay Art -- or Is It?

2009-10-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who sees polymer clay art here? It's nature (red cabbage) imitating art. Or, wait: does polymer clay inherently imitate red cabbage?

For some juicy morsels of polymer art and jewelry, go to one of my favorite sites: Polka Dot Cottage, where Lisa Clarke sells her masterpieces. Also make sure to visit her blog, which is everything this blog wants to be and never well.

Yea, Lisa!

A Big Bad Quilt and the story of its picture

2009-10-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have been working on this sucker for two years or more. I finally finished it this summer. It's king sized! Not only does that mean I had to wrestle it in the sewing machine, but it also means that I couldn't get a picture of the whole thing at once. What you're seeing is a composite of about four pictures. If you look closely you can see -- or at least I can -- where I blurred the edges to try to make the seams disapper. It's not perfect, but with such a busy quilt, it works just fine. Ah, technology!

A Thousand Words

2009-10-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Or maybe this counts as two thousand words? Aren't they eloquent? Let's thank Sears for that.

Bad News and Good News

2009-10-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

The bad news is that a wonderful woman, mother, wife, and friend needs a bone marrow transplant. The good news is that her friend can send a comfort pillow to her in the hospital, to express how much she loves her. I hope it helps a little.

Recycling with Polkadots

2009-10-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

We subscribe to a service that delivers a bag of organic, local produce to our house every two weeks. The fruit and vegetables are so fresh and tasty that they have changed the way we eat, the way we plan our meals, the degree of zeal that I feel for lettuce.

I get a huge kick out of people's pet peeves. I'm sorry that things bother them, but I think it's funny to think how something that means nothing to one person can be so consuming to another. The wonderful people who run the produce service have developed a pet peeve surrounding their recyclable bags. We customers are supposed to leave the previous delivery bag for our delivery person to pick up when he makes the new delivery. Apparently my peer customers have been wadding up the bags, leaving them dirty, or not putting them out for collection at all. And so one day a few months ago the email list was treated to a request, a plea. A rant.

The next day, I got a shipment with some beautiful apples in my new bag. And by the time I went outside to claim it, one of my furry neighbors had already chewed through the bag to sample the wares. What was I going to do? I was going to be one of those bad customers who lets the reusable bag get ruined. That would make me an enemy of the environment, of local farmers, of good people who had to do business with bad people like me.

So I did the only thing I ever know to do: I made it right by sewing. Specifically, my reusable bag got a green and white polka-dotted patch.

I was soooo pleased with myself that I took this picture. The next time we got a delivery, I wanted to wait outside for the delivery guy to see the beautiful patch and realize how clever and devoted to the environment I was. I imagined that the whole customer list would receive an email about my environmental stewardship and whimsy. I really expected an award.

But to date, my adorable patched bag has been met with a big fat nothing. To my face, anyway. I still imagine that I have brought some joy to someone along the supply chain, or to future customers. And just in case I haven't, know that I am so pleased with the little patch of dots that I have spent several weeks giggling and jumping up and down at the very thought. Sometimes being overly pleased with oneself is thanks enough. I think I'm going to let this be one of those times.

By the way, if you're interested in having your own fresh produce and bag-recycling opportunities, I highly recommend South Mountain Veggies. You can tell them the crazy lady who sewed the patch on the semi-disposable bag sent you.

Overrun with Accomplishments

2009-10-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

I don't want to put pressure on the babies to have to succeed succeed succeed accomplish accomplish accomplish, because I don't want them to turn into stressballs like their mother. But damned if they aren't amazing.

Amanda, who is a true champion sitter, is also in possession of two bottom teeth. I believe in the world of dental excellence we call those incisors. She is quite a good incisor, having incised my hand and lots of her toys.

Elisa, meanwhile, is a rocket in flight. In slow flight, but flight nonetheless. She has abandonned all baby-like notions of lying on her back and waiting for life to come to her. In the middle of every feeding, she insists on flipping onto her hands and knees and having me administer the bottle like she's a little goat. In the same position, she rocks back and forth constantly, like she's about to launch. The morning after I came back from the Women's Weekend she took four tentative crawl-steps towards me. In spite of my proud shrieks.

Elisa, our docile Baby B, has always been a well-tempered, pleasant baby. She entertains herself on the floor or in her crib with happy coos. When I happen by she melts my heart with her sweet smile, which takes up her whole head.

Amanda, the temperamental Baby A, whom I once or twice called the "squeeky wheel," has become a people person. This week at our twins group, when I had stepped out of the room, Amanda addressed the crowd with a new robot-like growl she has been perfecting. When she got everyone's attention, she beamed. They beamed back. She beamed more. I'm glad her face didn't fall off, but she is my daughter, and we have a tremendous capacity for smiling at people.

As their 9-month birthday nears, it occurs to me that they have been outside the womb for longer than they were inside. They have quadrupled their birth weight and developed robust personalities. I'd go so far as to say that they're people!

Now how in the world did that happen?

A Wealth of Friends: A Slideshow

2009-10-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

Professionalism

2009-10-10T12:01:00.003-07:00

I wanted everyone to see what has happened to my professional life. I love it.

A Weekend of Crafts

2009-10-08T21:51:00.001-07:00

I went to camp last weekend. Yes, I'm an adult. And it's practically winter. And I have family responsibilities. Still, I had the opportunity to go to Camp Takodah in New Hampshire for a Women's Weekend full of fun, friendship, crafts, and outdoor activities (which I skipped). And by God, I seized the days.

Of my fifty hours away from home, my favorite part was seeing my friend Lucy and all the friends she's been talking about for years but has never actually shown me. My second favorite part was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the top bunk of a slightly wobbly bunk bed in a cabin with rain dripping on me from the roof. My third favorite part was a tie between multi-ethnic line dancing and pure Amurican karaoke.

But my favorite-favorite part that was so favorite that it defies the convention of calling it favorite was:

The Hobby Nook.

I rubbed my soul all over this delightful little cottage, and it petted me back. I died wool yarn, made my own knitting needles, crafted several rubber stamps, did some charcoal drawings, and learned how to felt wool into shapes. I talked about my babies. I heard about the lives of women from their twenties to their seventies, from all over the country and beyond.

I was impressed as hell with Emily, my fiber instructor, who works at Harrisville Designs in a town that's been spinning out fiber arts for centuries. To my delight, she brought lots of goodies from her store and was willing to share. Among other talents, she hauled out her spinning wheel and showed me how to spin yarn from sheep's wool. She gave me a spontaneous lesson one evening in the dining hall, in front of the fireplace. As I watched the wheel pull a string shape out of something that looked like a cloud, my new friend Beth walked by. She said, "I don't know you very well yet, but if I had a camera, I'd take a picture. You really look like you're in your element." I pulled my camera out of my pocket and handed it to her. Bang: historical record.

For the one full day and two half days, I missed my children so much it made me nauseated. But the weekend was finite, and apparently even mothers need to recharge their batteries from time to time. In the end, the babies came away from the experience with a little more Daddy time, some new rubber stamps made just for them, and -- in a few days -- their first postcards.

If I do something with my hand-dyed yarn other than just rub it on my face, I'll post a picture here. But if I just snuggle with my new art supply, well, you don't need to see that.

Thanks for inviting me, Lucy. I loved it a real lot.

The Power of Cute

2009-09-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

The World Wildlife Fund people figured it out a while ago, with their logo of the panda bear. We've been seeing a lot of polar bear baby pictures recently, as their environment melts. And then there is the ubiquitous, ultra-cute green frog from the tropics. Animals that have good public relations campaigns survive. The cuter they are, the better they do.

I've thought about this in relation to my own babies. Certainly if they weren't as adorable as they were, we would have kicked them to the curb long ago. For a while, when they were first born, they were downright rude. But those big eyes, those Charlie Brown noses. And so here they are, still here, and getting cuter by the day. I find myself at Costco loading up the cart with formula and diapers every week, despite the cost, and despite the fact that Costco doesn't take credit cards. It's all because of those eyes. Cheeks. Chubby knee-rolls.

I read a study once that correlated cuteness and survival. It measured the relationship of eye size to head size, head size to body size, and determined that lots of baby animals can be scientifically called "cute." Remember Puss 'n' Boots from the Shrek movies? He's the swashbuckling kitten with Antonio Banderas's voice, whose most disarming battle strategy is to put on his puppydog eyes. The bigger the head, the bigger the eyes, the harder we all fall.

It also works with product marketing. My Dad was constantly annoyed with my friend Carin and me in sixth grade, when we had one word to summarize what we liked: "cute" things. Dad thought it was the worst selection criterion in the world. Turns out it was the best. We bought a lot of Hello Kitty pencils because of the power of cute.

So as a new baby product consumer, I have noticed a new cutie on the scene.

The ladybug is a special bug. She's clean-looking and approachable. In Mexico, ladybugs are called catarinas (that's Katherines, for those of you who didn't get it) and are considered good luck. The graphic quality of their spot(s) makes them attractive to people who otherwise don't go for bugs. So fabric designers all over the world have gone to town with their image recently. I've never seen as many ladybug designs in my whole life as I have in the last few weeks.

When a friend of mine commissioned a baby quilt for an as-yet-unknown-gendered baby, we went straight for a ladybug theme. Lady for girls. Bug for boys. Something for everyone; universal appeal.

Because the child was going to be born to an American mother living in Ireland, we also snuck in an orange/white/green (Irish) and red/white/blue (American) color scheme. This is the result.

My hope is that the American-Irish baby will become an etymologist. First stop ladybugs. Then bees. Then spiders.

Fabric designers and artists save the world. It was only a matter of time.

AMANDA SITS UP!

2009-09-16T14:01:00.001-07:00

Breaking news! She's happy I'm happy, but she's not sure exactly why.

The Triplets

2009-09-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

My dear Aunt Lucy made -- yes, SEWED -- the twins and their cousin a set of matching dresses. They are made from blue and white searsucker fabric, and each girl's was sewn with a different color accent thread: red, yellow, or green. On the back were bunny and star buttons that matched each dress's particular thread.

Amazing, right? Do you know anybody who sews presents for people? Me neither!

So that compelled a photo shoot, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. It's all documented in this slideshow:

Meanwhile, here are another few pictures that needed to be posted.

The Original Fiber Artist

2009-09-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Every time we've tried to get the mail for a week, we have met with a spider web. We get caught in it, it sticks to our hair and hands, and we mumble a humble "sorry" to the spider. I didn't give it much thought, except to think that the poor spider was going to have a lot of heartache if she kept building her web in our path.

But last night it all changed for me. When I stepped onto the stoop, I was met with the eighth wonder of the world. A web was forming before my very eyes. The wonder was not the gossamer strands that laced our handrail; it was the spider.

Damn.

The original fiber artist.

She had anchored the spokes of her net on the awning, the side of the house, the railing, and the porch light. When I showed up she had made about thirty revolutions around the edge of her web. Every revolution produced another sticky circle that linked up with the spokes, and brought her closer to the center. The outside circle might have been thirty inches in diameter. Every time she made a loop, she came about 1/4 of an inch toward the center. And so she looped and looped and looped. From time to time she stopped and reversed directions. Did she lose her place? Get dizzy? Or just decide that the corner she had just left needed some extra strength?

More amazing than the structure was the fact that she was making the materials with her own body. I know the web comes from somewhere within her little exoskeleton, but I really don't know how she does it. I would have assumed it would take longer for her to spin, though. But she raced around the circle, pausing to knit the new strand together with the spokes at the intersections, then racing on to the next spoke. The line just came. I like to think I was this impressive when I was telling jokes and tying knots with a needle in my mouth at my friend Wendy's school. But let's face it: that thread was store-bought.

As I watched her, I agonized that Charlotte and her web would be lost the next time we carelessly came in the door or got our mail. And then I remembered that I'm human, and though I can't make a web, I can do a little to change my environment.

I decided that we would make a place for our artist in residence as long as she would have us. So I put up signs to remind us and alert our visitors to her sometimes-invisible masterpiece.

This morning Charlotte has retreated to take a nap, I think, and let the web do some grocery shopping for her. I hope she knows she has friends here. Maybe later she'll teach me how to spin.

The Creative Life

2009-09-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

Your humble Fiber of Her Being blog is going to be undergoing a make-over in the days and weeks to come. It's two dimensions will be rounded into something bigger, sweeter, whole...er.

A year and a half ago I started another blog, to document our journey through infertility, and to let the world know a little about how it felt. Last summer we finally got pregnant, and this January we had our little baby girls. They'll be turning eight months old this week, and as they grow out of their little baby clothes, I think I'm starting to grow out of the infertility blog.

This is not to say that I've finally shed my infertility skin. No; I think that will stay with me forever. And it's not to say that I've forgotten about my loved ones who are still fighting the infertility fight. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is for them that I'm moving my stories to a new forum. There are lots and lots of infertility blogs out there that now show pictures of sweet babies and toddlers, and describe the joys and trials of childrearing for all to see. Sure, they offer hope that infertility can give way to a family. But they also hurt the currently-infertile when they celebrate one more woman who got to have children. That's the way I felt when I used to see them, anyway.

So I'm moving URLs and changing my focus. We'll mark "AchievingConceiving" as "Achieved: Conceived," and bring my photos and fairy tales to roost with the fiber of my being. Turns out, there's a lot of creativity needed to raise two girls, and if you want, a TON of opportunities to sew.

Stay tuned for pictures of babies, of bibs and blankets, and all the other things that go into a creative life. And yes, there will still be pictures of artwork. It will just be a happier medium.

The Color of Papaya

2009-09-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Do you know what color a papaya is? If you said "yes," you're a liar. Or at least mistaken. Why do I say this with such confidence, without even knowing who you are? It's because of something I learned last month. Namely, papayas are many colors.

A darling woman, one of the darlingest I know, got married last week in Ecuador, in a wedding with a "papaya and cream" color scheme. She commissioned this guest book for friends and family to sign, specifying that the cover should be papaya.

I am a Latin Americanist. At least, that's one of the things I have called myself over time. I marched to the paper store confidently, imagining some papaya I ate once in the town at the mouth of the Amazon. It tasted a little like vomit, but at least it was pretty. When I got to the store, I found lots of sweet papers, including some envelopes in a pinkish-orange whose official color name was "papaya." I bought a big sheet of paper that matched the envelopes exactly, then went home.

When I got started on the project, I noticed that the price tag on the paper said, "pumpkin." My confidence waned. How could a pretty tropical fruit look like the thing we carve ghoulish jack-o-lanterns from? I turned to the Internet, which is a great place for worried people to get their confidence shattered. Indeed, I saw a spectrum of papayas that ranged from cool peach to cherry red, not to mention apple green. Not only are papayas different colors on the outside, but each papaya contains several different colors in the inner flesh. There is no "papaya" color. Or rather, there are infinite "papayas."

And that's when it became lucky that the darling bride had hired a quilter to make her book. I pulled out every shade of orange, pink, and yellow that I had stored under my table, and got to work on the papayaest collage my studio had ever seen. And this is the result.

Today marks six days since the wedding took place, and as far as I know, my color choices did not endanger or offend the nuptials one bit.

Exhale.

Award-Winning Quilt

2009-09-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, that title is misleading. I made this wall-hanging in January, and turned it over to the client the weekend before I had my babies. Not only was I heavily pregnant at the time, but the weight of the 40+ fencing medals was as heavy a burden as I've ever sewn. The result, I think, deserves... well, you know.

I'm Back!

2009-08-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hello, my dear friends!

I'm happy to say that I'm back from maternity leave. I have two delicious little girls, Elisa and Amanda, who have just about quadrupled their weight since January. As their nights get longer and my REM sleep returns, I'm itching to get back into the sewing machine saddle.

My professional re-debut actually took place in June, when my friend Wendy asked me to participate in her elementary school's Festival of the Arts. I had the honor, privilege, and challenge of giving six 20-minute presentations (to grades K through 5) back to back in one corner of a gymnasium. I wanted to show them the thrill of sewing, interior design, fusible web, being your own boss... all in a third of an hour.

And this is what we did. Pillows!

When each group had filtered in, I got their participation like a comedy improv show.

"I'm going to sew the pillow that YOU design! Give me three shapes, please."

With hands raised, of course, three volunteers suggested shapes. With the younger groups, the shapes were pretty basic, like a square and a circle. The fifth graders, especially, were a lot more creative: a number five and a graduation cap (since they were about to graduate to middle school).

One exchange went a little like this:

"Yes, ma'am," I said to a little child with long, curly hair. "What shape should we use?"

"I'm a boy."

"Oh. Huh. Sorry. Well, what shape should we use?" (Moving on quickly).

Next I asked them for which color fabric they wanted each shape to be cut out of.

"Yellow."

"Red."

"Circle." That was one of the kindergarteners. "Great!" I said, "And what color should it be?"

Finally, once the shapes were cut out, I asked them where they should each be located on the face of the pillow. Once again, the fifth graders outdid everyone else with recommendations of a broader, overlapping design. That, you know, made sense. The graduation cap on the 5, with a circle behind them.

Thanks for my friend and assistant, Wendy, all of the shapes received iron-on adhesive, and were then ironed on to the pillow fabric. As I talked about the joy of sewing and other fascinating topics, I threaded a needle and stitched all but one side of the pillow. I turned it inside-out, explaining what I was doing as I went along, stuffed in the stuffing, and sewed up the last side.

"VOILA!" I roared as the 20 minutes came to an end. I received a great round of applause each time. I don't think making a pillow has ever ended in such fanfare.

One of Wendy's fellow teachers remarked later, "She can hold a needle in her mouth, thread it, and crack jokes, all at the same time." I hadn't realized that my whole life had been working up to this performance, but it seems clear now. Napoleon Dynamite remarked that girls like boys with skills. It goes both ways. I got skills.

By the end of the two hours, with the sixth pillow coming together, my performance voice had started to get a little dry, and I was glad it wasn't a K through 6. Nevertheless, I was brimming with pride at what turned out to be the most participatory guest program the whole week. And so excited to have my children grow up to be crafty little kids making design decisions with the best of them.

The pillows now reside in the Principal's Office on the couch reserved for very special guests.

Maternity Leave

2009-01-19T00:49:00.001-08:00

We're pleased to announce that Fiber of Her Being has gone on maternity leave. Our little family is now doubled in size and features two brand-new little girls, Amanda June and Elisa Katherine (fraternal twins).

Check back in with us in late 2009 for your art-quilting needs!

In the meantime, keep up with our family at www.AchievingConceiving.blogspot.com.

Love,
Kay

A Grand-Life in Pictures

2008-12-19T17:27:00.001-08:00

A very special grandmother turns 70 this year, and her family has commissioned a throw quilt to mark the occasion. It features 42 pictures that themselves feature 100% adorableness.

The clients liked one of the wedding quilts that I had made, so I based the design on it. As usual, the final design depends entirely on the artifacts and photos -- sizes, the way they fit together -- but I think I got kind-of close. Above is the throw quilt and below the wedding quilt that inspired it.

Comfort in Cuddly Form

2008-12-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

There have been lots of calls for comfort, both from the free Chemo Pillow give-away and from other corners of my life. Below are pictures of a few pillows I've come up with, as well as a new idea I had: the Hug Blanket. This is not a quilt but a simple fleece throw, with colorful arms to wrap around the comfortee. It's not as good as the real thing, but it might be the closest you can come to sending a hug in the mail.

Free Chemo Pillows

2008-11-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

The great Jim Miller, a dear friend of the family, passed away this summer from a long bout with cancer. He followed his wife, Julee, who'd succumbed to the same villain a few years earlier. Then last week, Robert Little, a friend whose family I've gotten to know and love through Fiber of Her Being, met the same fate. And we all know about Barack Obama's grandmother dying of cancer last Monday, the day before she saw her grandson make history.

It makes me sick.

I'm SICK of my loved ones getting cancer.

I'm sick of my loved ones' loved ones getting cancer.

I'm going to do three things about it. First, I'm making a donation to the American Cancer Society for their work in preventing and curing different forms of cancer. Second, I'm making a donation to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, for treating and curing so many of my friends and family in East Texas. And third...

I'm giving away FIVE FREE CHEMO PILLOWS during the month of November. If I can't rid the world of this terrible scourge, I can damned well comfort some of the people who have to fight it.

Chemo (or Comfort) Pillows are 14" x 14" pillows that I personalize for the recipient. The pillows feature pictures of the patient's family and loved ones (that includes pets!) and motifs and colors that they like. They are emotionally comforting and physically soft, and give people something to look at and think about while they go through chemotherapy sessions. And as two people have said, they make the recipients remember what -- and whom -- they are fighting for.

I'll be making one free pillow each for the first five people who contact me through the end of November, 2008. I'll charge you $10 shipping, but the labor and materials are on me. For more details, please see the Comfort and Chemo page of my website.

Please take me up on it. I feel the need to do SOMETHING.

(Robert's Pillow)

(Jim's Pillow)

Caps to Cap-Haitien: Before and After

2008-11-03T16:15:00.001-08:00

My friend Lucy sent me a link to a very worthwhile project today. The Caps to Cap-Haitien Project is an initiative to send homemade knit caps for newborn babies to Haiti, as a part of a larger effort to create and distribute safe birthing kits. In addition to the little stocking caps to keep the babies' heads warm, the kits contain a plastic sheet, hand sanitizer, and a sterilized string and razor blade! As someone approaching labor myself, this seems like the epitome of "the bare minimum" necessary for a safe birth.

As it happens, I had thrown away a bunch of my husband's old T-shirts last night. There were so many that I had to cram them into the bedroom trash can with my foot. This morning, when I got Lucy's email, I took them back out.

The pictures show the before and after of the project. It took about three hours total to make forty little caps, and it did my heart good. I hope Paddington is willing to give up his hat for some little Haitian baby. If worse comes to worst, I can make him another.

Check out the Mama to Mama site, which is coordinating the homemade caps effort. There you can find a very easy pattern and instructions for making your own caps. I think this is worth the trouble, since it's barely any trouble at all, and could save some little baby's life.

The New, Hot Website

2008-10-28T20:46:00.001-07:00

Fiber of Her Being has updated its website! Www.FiberOfHerBeing.com now features a lot more photos and a lot less jabber.

Based on a Flickr.com photo database, the new site lets you see slide shows of lots of my previous work, and lets me update it as I make new things. The result is a very user-friendly site with lots and lots of pictures, all organized in a way that makes sense.

The site also features some useful information pages (see the tabs on the left). There you can see a consolidated price list, two pages of touching testimonials, a description of the custom art making process, and more.

I am really excited about the new format and the potential to show a whole lot more artwork. Have a look and let me know what you think!

www.FiberOfHerBeing.com.

Thanks!

Kay

New Quilts

2008-10-19T12:46:00.001-07:00

I have two new quilts to show you. The first is a baby quilt -- the first one I've ever made for our own baby (for one of the twins coming in February or March). I poured a lot of love into that one.

The second quilt is a T-shirt quilt made from a friend's collection. Because she grew up all over the world, she said, she never had a hometown: her T-shirt collection became her "home." She was unable to part with any of her shirts! So here they all are in quilted wall-hanging form. The two themes are sports and world travel -- you can see this both in the quilt design and in the logos on the shirts. The baseball and globe circles are fitted into an infinity sign to represent her spiritual beliefs and (according to me) how she can do anything and everything she puts her mind to.

Inspirational T-shirt Quilt

2008-10-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

The owner of this t-shirt collection lost 111 pounds and went on a running jag. She has t-shirts from marathons, half-marathons, and everything else that will give you a t-shirt for ambulating with others. This quilt was put together to inspire her to get back on the pavement after a hiatus.

A Long-awaited Wedding Quilt

2008-09-27T01:57:00.001-07:00

A year and a half ago, a mother commissioned a wedding quilt for her daughter. And then the wedding photographer ran off with their money and their pictures. This summer they finally got the picture they were waiting for, and (after a morning sickness leave of absence) I finally got to make their quilt!

It's been a while since I made anything shiny, and I do love shiny!

Super Reader!

2008-09-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

One very lucky first-grade classroom in Maryland will soon feature this Super Reader cape. Every day the student who has done the best in reading will get to wear this prized cape. Yea, literacy! (I want to be in first grade again).

Back in Business

2008-09-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that my infertility struggles seem to be over, and I am a growing mama-to-be of twins. To see pictures of that creative feat, see http://www.achievingconceiving.blogspot.com/.

Now I'm back to my original creative pursuit, throwing my (increased) weight into the fiber arts again. I wanted to share a picture of a quilt I made recently for a friend who is working in Malawi. Her mom passed away recently, but not before she got to spend a month with her daughter in the wilds of Africa. After her death, I made this cuddly throw-quilt for the daughter, using the mom's clothes that she wore or bought on her trip. We also included a few photos of her wearing those clothes, making the memories that fill her daughter's heart and make the quilt a special heirloom.

Here is what the daughter wrote me when she received the quilt:

"I want to thank you ever so sincerely from the bottom of my heart thru the tips of my toes… The quilt is amazing! Beautiful! Creative! I am soooooooo happy to have it! I cried for about an hour after opening it. I kept touching each piece, remembering where we were when she wore it, wishing I would see her again… I loved the windy picture making her look like an angel watching over my heart… Then a day later, I noticed the central compartment in the heart… I love that picture. I cried again, of course. I am crying now as I am snuggled under it. I loved how you made the backing – super soft for cuddling and with a slot for hanging easily. I really cannot thank you enough. I only hope that someday I can show my gratitude!"

This is why I do it.

Springing into Summer

2008-06-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to report that I'm back into the thick of things in my studio, turning out quilted creations left and right. Here are a few photos.

The family tree (and detail) were made for a grandma and grandpa moving into a new assisted living facility with limited wall space. Rather than bringing all their family photos with them to clutter up the walls, their children are giving them this wall-hanging with everybody included in one piece of art.

The elephant on the pillow is the Hindu god Ganesh, made for little Tara Grace, a new baby with Indian roots herself.

Springing through Spring

2008-05-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

While I'm still on medical leave, I wanted to share a few little projects I've been able to eek out. The smocks are for twin toddlers: Iris (thus the iris decoration) and Hewitt (afficionado of all things vacuum). The pillow was for a young lady named Jessie for her opening night in the school play of "Annie" (those of you in the know will recognize the font and design from "Annie" paraphernalia).

In other news, my website and email have been ailing for a few weeks but are now all sorted out and back online. Thanks for your patience!

Me, the Monarch

2008-04-30T19:00:00.001-07:00

I just found a picture of me in my kindergarten play -- as a monarch butterfly! I like the costume I made better (see previous post). Still, I'm pretty impressed with the teachers' ability to make so many paper butterflies and bunnies without having the kids rip them up.

What I've Been Up To

2008-04-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

A lot of my creative energies are going toward making a baby. See those exploits at my other blog, http://www.achievingconceiving.blogspot.com/.

But I did have a few projects to finish up before I declared the leave of absence. I wanted to share some of those pictures with you. More are on the way as I slowly get my work done, between "convalescent" naps.

Leave of Absence

2008-03-12T08:21:00.001-07:00

Hi, my friends,

Fiber of Her Being is taking a leave of absence, to be a lawyer and earn some money, to pay for the medical frivolities of infertility. I should be back in May or June, 2008, and will be taking new orders then.

If you have an order with me now, don't worry: I'm on top of it.

I can still be found on my email at kay@fiberofherbeing.com.

Thanks for your patience, and happy springtime!

Kay

Christmas Denouement

2008-01-15T17:18:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to all! December was busy and fruitful, and now that I've caught my breath, I wanted to show you some of the work I was able to put together. I hope I helped make Christmas that much merrier for a few families.

More Showing Off

2008-01-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Del Ray Artisans' Holiday Market: Fine Art, Fine Crafts, Food, and Gifts

2007-11-27T15:44:00.001-08:00

Find everything you need to celebrate in style this holiday season at the Del Ray Artisans’ Fine Art & Fine Crafts Holiday Market. The Holiday Market will be held November 30 through December 2 at the Del Ray artisan’s gallery at 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. Exquisite gifts created by more than 20 artist members will be featured in addition to festive baked goods to indulge your sweet-tooth and one-of-kind artist-designed holiday ornaments! The festivities begin Friday evening, November 30, with an opening reception and sale featuring wine and seasonal treats from 7–9:30 p.m. The Holiday Market will continue Saturday, December 1, from 10 AM to 6 PM and will be open during the Potomac West Christmas Tree lighting event which takes place next door to the gallery. The market continues Sunday, December 2 ,noon–4 PM. The Holiday Market will be the place to pick up unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for the holiday season!

In conjunction with the Market, Food for Thought, a holiday bake sale, will tempt you with festive and delicious delights! Proceeds from the bake sale will benefit the Arlandria Health Center which provides access to affordable health care, offering comprehensive pediatric, women’s health and adult medicine services to the community.

The Holiday Market will run through Sunday, December 2, 2007, at the Del Ray Artisans Gallery, Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. The opening reception and the Holiday Market are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Del Ray Artisans at (703) 383-4827 or visit www.thedelrayartisans.org.

Bubble Scarves!

2007-11-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

These scarves are made from recycled wool (mostly from old blazers and skirts) using my "bubbling" technique, whereby I wrap marbles in the fabric, and wash and dry on high to shrink the wool into a bubble texture. When I take the marbles out, voila!

These come in different lengths and colors, but here are a couple samples. If you're interested, contact me to discuss particular styles, colors, lengths, etc.

Cat Hat and Paw Mittens

2007-11-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite neighbors was barely able to model this cozy hat and mitten set for me the other day, as our Virginia November day was up to almost 80 degrees. Made from fake fur and lined with fleece, it will keep ears and paws warm on even colder days than this.

Art-Wear Trunkshow a Tremendous Success

2007-11-13T10:19:00.001-08:00

Jen Athanas, Greta Gonzalez, and I -- and many of our favorite friends and clients -- came together last Sunday for one heck of an extravaganza. There were too many people to count, but at the end of the day all the brownies and cookies were gone, we had met and re-met lots of wonderful people, and we were all dead tired.

To top it all off, I set a sales record for the best single day in Fiber of Her Being's history.

Thank you to all who made it happen, including Jen, Greta, and James (the most wonderful husband and cookie chef on earth).

Fiber of Her Being Recognized as Top Business

2007-11-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Fiber of Her Being has been named "one of the best [businesses] in the DC metro region" by WeddingWire, Inc.

The WeddingWire Rated 2007 - Washington, DC Metro Region distinction is based on great reviews by my darling customers. This high classification takes service, responsiveness, professionalism, value, and flexibility into consideration.

As my boss in Mexico used to say, "Service is a good business."

Farewell, Lucy

2007-11-05T07:24:00.001-08:00

My dear friend Lucy is heading homeward, leaving DC after many years. I collected about 70 pictures from all her friends and created a quilted scrapbook for her, including a map in the center that will direct her back to us whenever she wants to come.

Seasonal Art-Wear Trunk Show - November 11

2007-10-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Three hot local artists offer a private showing of the most luscious gifts in town.

Kay Bailey: art quilts, scarves, and fabric jewelry (http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/)

Jen Athanas: hand-crafted bags and fashion accessories (http://www.jenafusion.blogspot.com/)

Greta Gonzalez: jewelry with hand-made glass beads (http://www.gretagonzalez.com/)

Come before -- or escape during -- the Redskins' game. Food, wine, and seasonal goodness will be served. Bring family and friends. And don't be scared: this is a great gift-buying opportunity, NOT a fashion show!

Contact Kay@FiberOfHerBeing.com for directions to the house/studio, or call (703) 752-4798.

Sunday, November 11, 2007 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

New Guest Book with Guests Past & Present

2007-10-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

My favorite project this week has been the creation of a guest book for a wedding, which includes pictures of family members who have passed on but will be attending in spirit. The project was perfect for me because it was both sentimental and complex. The book features accordion pages that connect to each other instead of to a spine. When the book is closed, it latches shut with jewelry clasps. If you open the front clasp but not the back, you can open the book like a traditional book. If you open both clasps, you can separate the cover and stretch the pages all the way down the table. So neat! Thanks to Kate for trusting me with this treasure.

Bashert: Meant to Be

2007-10-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

This small wall-hanging is the latest in my inspirational series that has been motivated by all the women I've met in my infertility journey. In particular, I'm dedicating it to my friend Ashley, who found out today that this cycle of in vitro fertilization did not work. The Hebrew letters spell out "Bashert," which means "meant to be." I just know that Ashley's family is meant to be. They're just waiting for the right moment.

Fertile Ground and a Call for Ties

2007-09-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

I've just finished my most recent wall-hanging, called "Fertile Ground." Pomegranates are symbols of fertility, and I thought there would be nothing better for those of us in the infertility community to embrace than this messy, tart fruit. This quilt is a mixed media creation (acrylic painting, quilting, appliqueeing) and has "miracle beads" for seeds. The miracle beads look dark red in the dark and glow brightly in the light, producing almost a white center like a pomegranate seed.

In other news, I'd like to make a quilt from old men's ties. If you have some that you'd like to get rid of, I'd love to take them off your hands. Just give me a holler at kay@FiberOfHerBeing.com. Thanks!

Something Good is Just Around the Corner

2007-09-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

This saying comes from my mother, who always starts by saying, "As your grandmother has always said, ..." But I've honestly only heard it from my mother. In any case, it's a good, hearty, reassuring message. Third in my Inspirational Comfort series.

Kudos to Carolyn Dillon

2007-09-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

A month ago Carolyn Dillon's daughter-in-law emailed me, asking for advice on quilting for her mother-in-law, who was new to the craft. I rounded up some resources for her, and in a miraculous amount of time Carolyn came up with this amazing quilt, which features intricate embroidery -- with glow in the dark thread! -- and tons of love and hard work. I was so amazed that I wanted the world to see it. There are two pictures: one of the quilt, which shows off the handiwork; and a sweeter one yet, which shows how well the quilt was received. Good work, Carolyn!

Inspirational Wall-Hangings

2007-09-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

When I look back on what I've done in my life, one thing that I seem particularly drawn to is comforting people with art. I've decided to make that a more central part of Fiber of Her Being. I started with "Comfort Pillows," (a.k.a. Chemo Pillows), which feature pictures of loved ones that people in need can lean on and look at in tough times. I find making those very rewarding.

Now I've begun a new line, which is a series of wall-hangings and pillows that have inspirational sayings emblazoned on them, to help keep us going. The first one says, "It will all be ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's not the end." The second one says, "For every mountain there is a miracle." The next one... don't know yet.

This new idea was inspired by a host of wonderful women who are, like me, trying to stare down the horrible beast of infertility. I hope that my comrades-in-arms can take these pillows with them for their various scary procedures, and remember that someone loves them and that it will all be okay in the end.

Pillows will be priced at the usual $45, and wall-hangings will sell for $60, which is a huge savings over my normal $200 minimum. As always, I'd be happy to whip up a custom one with your own saying on it.

Red Hat FUNvention!

2007-08-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

August 17-19 I participated as a vendor at the Red Hat Society FUNvention, which drew 50+ year old ladies in red hats and purple outfits from all over Virginia. I shared a booth with the very talented Merle Blair, of Foxy Lady Designs, who makes beautiful flower-laden hats and beaded hat pins. I contributed tons of red and purple hat and scarf pins in the Love Notes tradition. Our side-kick and mastermind of our partnership was Helen Hickson, who despite a dislocated shoulder kept up our spirits all weekend -- and fetched us lunch.

Part of the joy of the vendor area is meeting other artists. In particular, I met one Dawn Anderson of Dawn Anderson Designs who makes her own clothing and hat patterns and is an absolute genius at hand-sewing. Dawn gives workshops and sells kits for making one's own hats, including the pillbox variety and wild Zigfield Follies types.

I also met Nicole Janan of Red Hat Glamour. Inspired by her red-hatter mom, she has hit the ground running with outrageous high-heel "ring bling" caddies, which are made out of dress shoes and hold rings and other baubles. She also makes treasure boxes and aprons. She's very creative, and very into red and purple.

Diving into T-shirts

2007-07-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is my most recent quilt, made from the T-shirt collection of a Navy Diver. This brave man passed away 2 years ago, and this quilt will be a gift for his 9-year old daughter. My challenge was to make something that reflected his "bad ass"-ness (see all those punk rock skulls and topless mermaids?) and was still sweet enough to carry his memories to his little girl. I think I did it. Note his sailor shirt in the middle hugging her Star Wars hoodie. Not a dry eye in this house.

Fiber gets New Trademarks!

2007-07-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

After a year's wait, "Fiber of Her Being" is finally a trademarked name! We received the paperwork from the U.S. Patent & Trademark office last week. The company now owns exclusive rights to use "Fiber of Her Being" on quilts and quilted wall-hangings and home decor in these fifty nifty united states. Does my little lawyer heart good.

Another -- LONGER -- CraftyPod Interview

2007-07-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last month's 5-minute interview was not enough. At CraftyPod's request, Fiber of Her Being's very own Kay Bailey was featured in a new, in depth, 20-minute interview with Diane Gilleland, the creative genius behind CraftyPod podcasts and blog. Join us as delve deeper into the value of preserving human memories in fabric, and the particular rewards and challenges that go along with it. Listen to Kay get mushy, make a dumb pun or two, and even cry a little! You'll also get to hear the story of this Frisbee quilt, made for a couple who met while playing Ultimate Frisbee. The fun never stops. It's all at http://craftypod.com/?p=178.

Fiber of Her Being is Moving!

2007-05-25T12:42:00.001-07:00

Fiber of Her Being is moving to a new home this month, and we've grown so large we're getting our very own post office box!

The new address is:

Fiber of Her Being, LLC

P.O. Box 50083

Arlington, VA 22205

(703) 752-4798

The phone number will remain the same: (703) 752-4798 BUT it will take several weeks to transfer it to the new house. In the meantime, you can find me on my cell phone at (703) 635-6762.

Thanks for your patience while we throw ourselves into chaos and try to climb back out.

Kay

Kay featured in CraftyPod podcast

2007-05-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

I'm a star! Click this link (http://craftypod.com/?p=150) to hear my May 4, 2007 interview with Diane Gilleland, the creator of the CraftyPod podcasts, discussing the business side of Fiber of Her Being. CraftyPod is devoted to inspiring regular folks to become "craftypreneurs." This 20-minute internet radio show also includes 5-minute interviews with:

Darcy Ellarby, of ipodcrafts.com
Brenna Giannini, of Sugar Lily
Janine Predmore, of Things That Make Scents

Stay tuned for more podcast interviews with CraftyPod!

Donate Yarn for Families of Child Murder Victims

2007-04-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, folks,

Here's a great chance to clean out your craft closet and help families in need! Please donate your extra yarn and knitting or crochet needles -- and even your crafting skills -- for a project to help the families of child murder victims in Washington, DC.

The project is called "An Afghan Memorial Project for Child Victims of Murder: Wrapped in Love" and has two components:

Teaching families of murder victims to make Afghan blankets to express their feelings about their fallen children and create a warm, tactile memorial, and
Creating a tapestry for the MLK Jr. Public Library in DC, where the children's names can be hung.

If you have extra yarn and knitting or crochet needles, please consider donating them now. You can also come knit and crochet with us on May 19, 2007, when we'll be making the tapestry for the library.

Send donations to the Art Division, MLK Jr. Library, Room 209, 901 G Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. The phone there is 202-727-1238 and email is art.dep@dc.gov. For more information, contact the Project Manager, Deirdre Wright, at 202-494-2724 or dwright.wrappedinlove@hotmail.com. This project is sponsored by the MLK Jr. Public Library and the Frantz Fanon Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies and has received grants from the DC Humanities Council of the District of Columbia.

I can't imagine a better cause. Please help.

Before and After

2007-04-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd show you a Before and After of how a photo becomes a pillow. This is a photo of Luke Balicao being lifted up to see his baby sister for the first time twelve days ago. I printed the photo onto fabric, cut it into a heart and appliqueed it to some fleece and the fleece to the pillow. Then I stitched the words "Love at First Sight" around it with the kids' names and Sara's birth date. Luke loved it! Sara, well, she hasn't commented yet. Give her a week or two.

Art, Words & Poetry Opening

2007-04-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Art, Words & Poetry art opening was a tremendous success. I elbowed my way through the crowd to take pictures of my two pieces, both of which were accepted into the show. I can't say enough good things about the Del Ray Artisans -- organizationally and artistically. It was a top notch event. And the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center is as charming as can be.

April 10, 2007 Newsletter

2007-04-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

My dear friends,

Here’s a quick note about noteworthy art events you should check out:

1. Words, Art & Poetry – a show I’m in (Alexandria, VA),
2. Smithsonian Craft Show – a show my former step-brother, a glass blower, is in (DC),
3. Hoopla Traders – a one-woman show I’ll be putting on next February (DC), and
4. CraftyPod – An Internet radio show that’s interviewing me about my business.

1. WORDS, ART, & POETRY
April 13 to 29, 2007

I have two pieces in this Del Ray Artisans show, which explores the juxtaposition of words and visual art. See my blog at www.FiberOfHerBeing.blogspot.com for a sneak-peak at the quilt made from my Mexico travel journal, “My Mexico.”

Place: The Nicholas Colasanto Center, 2704 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301.
Times: Opening reception Friday, April 13, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. After that, Saturdays 10:00 to 4:00 and Sundays 12:00 to 4:00 through April 29.
For more info: www.TheDelRayArtisans.org

2. SMITHSONIAN CRAFT SHOW
April 19 to 22, 2007

My former step-brother, Pablo Soto, is a phenomenal glass artist in Penland, North Carolina, and will be showing some of his work at the 25th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show. For pictures of his glass, see http://www.smithsoniancraftshow.org/content/Exhibitors/Glass/Gls_Soto5.html. For information on the show overall, see http://www.smithsoniancraftshow.org/indexmain.asp?content=Glass.

3. HOOPLA TRADERS
February 9 to March 3, 2008

I will be holding a one-woman show next February in this artsy Capitol Hill shop. See www.HooplaTraders.com to learn more about the store’s fair trade, hand made, earth friendly enterprise. You can see previous featured artists and their work at http://hooplatraders.com/page.cfm?PageID=62.

4. CRAFTYPOD PODCAST
May 4, 2007

I will be interviewed for a CraftyPod podcast (an Internet radio show) about the business of Fiber of Her Being… the concepts behind my art, some marketing strategies, and my custom artwork business model. To hear the interview, go to www.CraftyPod.com and follow the instructions. Welcome to Cyberspace and 2007!

Thanks,
Kay

My Mexico - Quilted Journal / Journal Quilted

2007-04-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Del Ray Artisans released a call for entries for an art show featuring poetry and word themes. So I brought out my journal from when I lived in Mexico after college. It's the best source of words -- united with art -- that I have. So I copied twelve pages out of the journal, including drawings and paintings that I'd done, sections of text describing my adventures and loneliness, and photos and do-dads I'd pasted in. I printed the copies onto fabric and put them into this quilt. The crowning element was a sequinned Virgen de Guadalupe applique my Dad had given me years ago. Brought just the right amount of sparkle to the piece.

Sara Hillard Balicao, born 4/5/07

2007-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Announcing to the world the birth of a sweet little girl, Sara Hillard Balicao. She weighs in at 6 lbs., 8 oz., and had a smooth delivery into this world. Mother (Betsy), Father (Francisco), Big Brother (Luke), and Baby are all doing fine. Welcome, sweet girl! We love you!

Wedding Wire Reviews

2007-03-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've started advertising on WeddingWire.com and have been promised that having lots of good reviews will help me claw my way to the top of the search results. If I have made something wonderful for you, would you please let them know by clicking the button to the right (scroll down to just under "About Me") and writing a quick review? Once you get there, they'll ask you what service I provided; the answer is "Other unique service."

Thank you so much! My cyberlife and I thank you!

-Kay

Washington Bridal Showcase

2007-03-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

My faithful assistant and husband, James, and I attended the Washington Bridal Showcase expo at the Patriot Center last weekend. We met a whole host of wonderful brides, parents, and other vendors. Here are some photos as proof of our presence, lest we need an alibi for that time and date.

Bat Mitzvah Quilt

2007-03-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of my most recent creation: a wall-hanging gift for a girl having her Bat Mitzvah. We managed to include all of her interests: friends, cell phones, softball, basketball, and wheaten terriers. And I had to add silver thread and some beads and sequins, because she is a 13-year-old girl, after all! We've all been there.

Miniature Huppa Display

2007-03-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to virtually unveil my new miniature huppa display. It features a square canopy on wooden poles (frame provided by my talented wood-working father, David T. Bailey). This particular huppa has a cloud motif, with reverse-applique clouds that are nothing but a layer of tule that you can see right through. The sides of the huppa are embroidered with: "Rachel Green and Ross Geller," "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine," and the date. This is a sample, obviously, as Ross and Rachel never did get married, as far as I know.

Inside are the tiniest miniature bride and groom ever, standing in for Ross and Rachel. Pretend like they're bigger. Huppa frames are on average 7 feet tall; they don't usually dwarf people like this. Unless you start out with really small people.

Kay

Free Washington Bridal Showcase Tickets

2007-03-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Calling all brides: I have 8 free tickets to the Washington Bridal Showcase event this Sunday, March 25 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Tickets will be $7 at the door.

This is the largest bridal show in the DC area, with zillions of wedding vendors of all stripes, just waiting to give you free samples of things and show you their wares. I can promise free magnets, the best brochures ever made, and a chance to rub your face on some sample wedding quilts. To claim your free ticket(s), email me at kay@FiberOfHerBeing.com. For more information on the expo, see www.BridalShowcase.com.

-Kay

Still More New Artwork

2007-03-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

More New Artwork

2007-03-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

New Artwork

2007-03-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hi, gang,

I wanted to share some pictures of some of my recent artwork. These will make it to my regular website some day.

Love Notes Featured on CraftyPod Website!

2007-02-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

The fabulous folks at CraftyPod, "a bi-weekly podcast that’s all about Making Stuff," threw a bit of applause our way today. See http://craftypod.com/?p=92 for the mention of our sweet heart necklaces!

Love Notes Featured on Modish Website

2007-02-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

Fiber of Her Being's Love Notes necklaces got some great press on the Modish website this February as one of the five top items circulated this month by The Sampler. Modish is a website that showcases and supports "goods that are made by hand, created with attention and intention," such as my Love Notes. Modish had this to say about the necklaces:

"These gorgeous quilted heart necklaces [are] from Fiber of Her Being. Strung on silk cording with a cute button on the front, these are super unique and perfect for Valentine's Day!"

See the Modish site at http://modish.typepad.com/modish/sampler_faves/index.html. Also check out the Sampler (www.HomeOfTheSampler.com), a great web-based organization devoted to promoting and marketing indie art.

Valentine's Day Trunk Show

2007-02-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

Jen Athanas (hand-made handbags; http://www.jenafusion.net/), Leah Sturgis (beaded jewelry; http://www.leahsturgis.com/), and I held a Valentine's Day Trunk Show chez-moi on Saturday, February 10. A good time and good hors d'oeuvres were had by all. Many thanks to the friends and family who stopped by!

Kay Bailey meets Kay Bailey Hutchison

2007-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

Today I met Kay Bailey Hutchison, US Senator from the Great State of Texas, at a coffee held for her constituents. In appreciation of her name and her impressive drive that has gotten her this far, I made her a fancy Love Notes pin. For the first time ever I deviated from the heart shape and made hers in the shape of Texas. (We Texans eat that up!) A picture of the Kays Bailey will be coming shortly, but in the meantime, please see the pin I made her and a picture of her wearing it! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-haw!

Kay wins "Yippee!" Award

2007-02-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

On February 2 at the Del Ray Artisans "House of Cards 2" opening, I won the "YIPPEE! Cardist Award." The winning card has been framed and is being sold in a raffle (tickets are $1; that's a steal). The card features four photos: Bea Arthur, Maya Angelou, Rudy Valle, and a fork. Each photo is sewn onto a fabric square and then onto the card itself. On top of the photos, with glitter glue, I have pasted these words: Bea Maya Valle Tine."

I have never won a "Yippee!" award, but feel much more fulfilled now that it's happened.

You can see my cards and jewelry for sale at the House of Cards 2 show at the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301. The phone, for more information, is (703) 838-4827, and the website is www.thedelrayartisans.org. The show is open from now until February 18. Gallery hours are Fridays 7 to 9 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. (My timeslot to gallery-sit is Sunday, February 18 from 12 to 2).

February 2007 Newsletter

2007-02-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

My dear friends,

Spring is in the air, if not on the calendar, and it’s time for a Fiber of Her Being update. This message will contain information on:

1. Upcoming events in the DC area:

House of Cards Valentine Sale – Opening reception this Fri., 2/2, and continuing through 2/18 in Del Ray, Virginia

Heart Art show at the Torpedo Factory – Next Thurs., 2/8, and the weekend of 2/10 and 2/11 in Alexandria, Virginia

Valentine’s Day Trunk Show – Next Sat., 2/10, featuring my Valentines fare and handmade purses by Jen Athanas in Arlington, Virginia

TAKE HEART: I will donate 10% of my after-tax Valentine proceeds to the American Heart Association.

2. New “Chemo Pillow” line: offering free pillows to 3 chemotherapy patients
3. New Jewish wedding huppa (chuppa) line: offering 25% discount to first taker
4. Urgent call for bottlecaps
5. Fiber website: what’s new in products and cyberspace
6. New local shops and global websites where you can find my stuff
7. How to unsubscribe from this list

_______________________________________

1. Upcoming events in the DC area:

House of Cards Show by Del Ray Artisans– Opening Reception this Friday, 2/2 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., and continuing through 2/18. Gallery hours are Fridays 7 to 9 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. (My timeslot to gallery-sit is Sunday, February 18 from 12 to 2). This show and sale of handmade cards will “tickle funny bones, embrace the valentine romantic, celebrate birthdays and please the ‘all occasion’ seeker.” Takes place at the Del Ray Artisans Gallery at 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Virginia 22301. For more info call (703) 838-4827 or see http://www.thedelrayartisans.org/.

Heart Art show at the Torpedo Factory – Next Thursday, 2/8, from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, 2/10 and Sunday, 2/11, from 1 to 4 p.m. The flier tells me that love is in the air at the Torpedo Factory, so hurry and come catch some of it. Participating artists like me will be providing cards and other heart-related artwork for sale, and the Generations Dance Studio will perform on Thursday night to “keep the evening romantically refreshing!” Gosh, I can’t wait to see what that means! The address is 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314 in Old Town, Alexandria. For more info go to http://www.torpedofactory.org/.

Valentine’s Day Trunk Show – Next Saturday, 2/10, from noon to 5 p.m. Buy jewelry, cards, purses, and other gifts for Valentine’s Day, with mailing time to spare. We’ll be showcasing fiber art handmade by me and Jen Athanas, another local fiber artist who creates luscious bags and purses. We also hope to have jewelry and small paintings by other artists (see my blog at http://www.fiberofherbeing.blogspot.com/ for breaking news on this front). We will exert no sales tactics on you except the bubbling of mutual delight. This informal party will provide free food, drink, and frivolity and will be held at my house at 1816 N. Tuckahoe Street, Arlington, Virginia, 22207, one-half block from the East Falls Church metro station. I’ll send out an evite to folks in the DC area, but if you don’t hear from me within the next few days and would like to attend, please drop me a line at kay@FiberOfHerBeing.com.

Heart Donations: Between February 1 and 14, I will donate 10% of all Valentine-related proceeds (after I pay my taxes on them) to the American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org/). Although breast cancer gets a lot of press, heart disease and stroke are still the leading killers of women in the United States. Join me in getting fit, improving your diet, and otherwise promoting cardiovascular health in 2007.

My complete schedule is listed on my Schedule and Events blog at http://www.fiberofherbeing.blogspot.com/ under the listing SPRING SCHEDULE 2007.

2. New “Chemo Pillow” line: offering 3 free pillows to chemotherapy patients

If you know someone who is undergoing chemotherapy, I’d like to make a free Chemo Pillow for him or her to take to chemo sessions, complete with photos of loved ones and all the comfort of a cuddly security blanket. All you have to do is send me some pictures of family or friends and tell me if the person has a favorite color scheme or style.

When I’m done, you’ll get the 14” x 14” pillow to give the patient, and I’ll have a picture of another Chemo Pillow to put in my portfolio for future advertisements or brochures. If the recipient likes, she can write a few nice words for me to add to my website, but that is not required at all. When clients purchase Chemo Pillows in the future, I’ll donate 10% of after-tax proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure (http://www.cms.komen.org/).

The Chemo Pillow idea came about when I made a pillow last month for a beloved friend who is battling breast cancer. The front of the pillow has pictures of her grandchildren; the back is soft fleece. Every month she brings the pillow with her to chemotherapy and it gives her some comfort and distraction in the midst of fear, pain, and drudgery. When her son, who commissioned the pillow, saw how much his mom loved it, he suggested I expand my pillow line to include personalized Chemo Pillows for other people who have to endure this awful experience. I thought it was a lovely idea.

I’m offering a free pillow for the first three takers, so give me a holler at kay@FiberOfHerBeing.com or (703) 752-4798 if you know a candidate.

3. New Jewish wedding huppa (chuppa) line: offering 25% discount to first taker

As an extension of my ceremonial wedding quilt line, I am interested in producing huppa cloths to be used in Jewish wedding ceremonies. I will offer a 25% discount to the first person to take me up on it. If you know of anyone who might be interested, or have any suggestions on the matter, please give me a call at (703) 752-4798 or email me at kay@FiberOfHerBeing.com.

4. Urgent call for bottlecaps

In a stroke of genius one half-asleep night, I had an idea for bottlecap jewelry. I start with a bottlecap and arrange a bouquet of paper or fabric flowers, beads, sequins, and other charms inside. I affix the bottlecap bouquet either to a pin backing or to a quilted heart, which is itself affixed to a pin backing. In my predictable zeal I have run out of bottlecaps. If you have not yet been weaned from the beer bottle, I’d love it if you could save your old bottlecaps and send them to me at Fiber of Her Being, 1816 N. Tuckahoe St., Arlington, VA 22205. Thank you!

The new bottlecap pins are displayed on the Love Notes pins page of my website (http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/index_files/LoveNotesPins.htm) and at http://www.fiberofherbeing.etsy.com/.

5. Fiber website: what’s new in products and cyberspace

This month I made a major overhaul to my darling website and want to give you a rundown of changes.
New Look. I have traded the mammoth navigation bar for a series of picture buttons that take you to the custom and off-the-shelf product pages, the Gift Registry and a PayPal online shopping cart (http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/).
More Info “About Us.” The “About Us” section has new helpful links to tell you about the process of commissioning custom artwork, a sample commission agreement, testimonials, and a list of venues where I sell my art (http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/index_files/AboutUs.htm).
More Love Notes. I have expanded the Love Notes Line to include necklaces, cards, pins, and holiday specialty fare. The cards are available for purchase through my website, and selected jewelry can be had on my website (http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/index_files/LoveNotesCentral.htm) or at the online store for independent artists, Etsy.com (see my specific site at http://www.fiberofherbeing.etsy.com/). I have brand-new spring Love Notes pins on my blog at http://www.fiberofherbeing.blogspot.com/.
New Samples. My website displays new sample photos in the Christmas, Halloween babies, baby quilt, family portrait pillow, family tree, Love Notes, and Kay’s Art sections. Browse around and see what wonders you find! The http://www.fiberofherbeing.blogspot.com/ schedule and events (and interim updates) blog has pictures of even newer samples of baby clothes, pillows, blankets, and a floppy fabric German songbook!

6. New local shops and global websites where you can find my stuff

I have expanded to several new venues in the Washington, D.C. and cyberspace areas. These include Beyond the Garden Gate in Falls Church, Va. (http://www.beyondthegardeng8.com/), Arlington Gift & Garden in Arlington, Va. (http://www.arlingtongiftandgarden.com/), Groovy DC on Capitol Hill (http://www.groovydc.com/), Company Flowers in Cherrydale, Va. (http://www.companyflowers.com/) and the online independent artist store Etsy.com (http://www.fiberofherbeing.etsy.com/). I have also contributed 50 Love Notes necklaces to the Sampler (http://www.homeofthesampler.com/), a subscription service that sends a sampling of independent artwork to individuals and media outlets on a monthly basis. Subscribe by February and maybe you’ll receive a Love Note or Fiber of Her Being magnet in your packet! A complete list of venues is available at http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/index_files/Venues.htm.

How to Unsubscribe

Nobody likes getting extra emails. If I have you on the list twice or if you would prefer not to be on it at all, reply to this email with “duplicate” or “unsubscribe” in the subject line. No worries!

Thanks for your ear, and may you have a very steamy February.

Love,
Kay

SPRING SCHEDULE 2007

2007-02-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

JANUARY, 2007

20, Saturday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

22, Monday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

29, Monday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

30, Tuesday:

Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory

Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

FEBRUARY, 2007

2, Friday
Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale
Opening Reception 7-10 p.m.; show continues through February 18. (See listings below)

My cards and jewelry will be on display and for sale at this pre-Valentines Day event put on by the Del Ray Artisans in the Del Ray section of Alexandria, Virginia. Come see some fancy-@$$ cards that are more like real art, along with other small gifts that one might give to a loved one on Valentines Day.

The show takes place at Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Virginia, 22301. For more info: (703) 838-7827, http://www.thedelrayartisans.org/

3, Saturday
Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale continues from 10:00 to 4:00.

4, Sunday
Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale continues from 12:00 to 4:00.

6, Tuesday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

8, Thursday
Attending Coffee with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Senate, 8:30 a.m.
I imagine we’ll discuss how we have the same name.

Torpedo Factory “Heart Art” Show, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
With many other artists at the Torpedo Factory, I will be selling Valentines cards and heart-related art in this pre-Valentine’s Day show. The Torpedo Factory will stay open later in the evening, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. The address is 105 North Union Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. For more info: 703-838-4565, http://www.torpedofactory.org/.

9, Friday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale continues from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

10, Saturday:
Torpedo Factory “Heart Art” Show
The Heart Art show that opened on Thursday, February 8 continues from 10:00 to 5:00. Although I won’t be there, my colleagues at Fiberworks (Studio 14) will take care of you.

Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale continues from 10:00 to 4:00.

11, Sunday:
Torpedo Factory “Heart Art” Show
The Heart Art show that opened on Thursday, February 8 continues from 12:00 to 5:00. Although I won’t be there, my colleagues at Fiberworks (Studio 14) will take care of you.

Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale continues from 12:00 to 4:00.

12, Monday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

14, Wednesday:
Valentine’s Day. A perfect occasion to give your sweetie some stuff from Fiber of Her Being. Really!

17, Saturday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale continues from 10:00 to 4:00.

18, Sunday:
Del Ray Artisans “House of Cards” Valentine Card Sale continues from 12:00 to 4:00. This is the last day of the sale.

26, Monday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

MARCH, 2007

9, Friday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

12, Monday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

16, Friday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

18, Sunday:

My first anniversary with the love of my life.

19, Monday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

24, Saturday:
Fiberworks/Torpedo Factory
Working at the Fiberworks Gallery in Studio 14 of the Torpedo Factory from 10:00 to 5:00.

New Pieces for Babies

2007-01-26T06:36:00.000-08:00

Two proud grandmothers commissioned baby products from me this week, and I'm so excited I had to post the products here. We have one snuggly baby quilt with insanely soft plush fabric on one side and a welcome greeting from aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and grandparents on the other. I made this for a family that has always treated me as one of their own, and I was so touched that they chose me to make this special baby present. The other piece is my favorite artwork to have made in a long time: a songbook of German songs for a set of one-year-old twins whose father grew up hearing these same songs. The back of the book has a pocket for a tape or CD to go into, and the front is decorated with pictures of the twins and grandparents. As a twin myself, and someone who had a fabric book from my own German grandmother, this really touches me.

Baby Gear for Emery

2007-01-24T18:58:00.000-08:00

My best college friend, Leyla, produced a beautiful baby girl this month, so I felt the need to produce something beautiful for the two of them. I polled college friends for advice for new parents and new humans, and painted the sayings on onesies in puff paint. Here is a picture of the final result. By the way, Tim Carvell's advice is not pictured here, but it was, "Don't take advice from Danny Franklin."

New Love Notes Pin Line Out

2007-01-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

Spring is almost here and I've made a new crop of Love Notes pins. The theme: SPRING IS IN THE AIR. The embellishments are mostly bugs (buttons) with a few flowers thrown in for good measure. Pop one in your Valentine to your sweetie or a care package to your niece.

Each heart is about one inch wide and 1.5 inches tall. The hearts are hand-made quilts with buttons on the front and gold-tone pin backings on the back. Each comes mounted on a Love Notes card within a 2" x 3" baggie for ease of sending.

You can see more Love Notes at www.FiberOfHerBeing.com and you can actually buy individual pins and necklaces at www.FiberOfHerBeing.etsy.com. The latter is new, so check it out!

Fiberworks Open House and Del Ray Artisans Show, 2006

2007-01-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

My dear guests at the November 12, 2006 Fiberworks Open House never got their proper acclaim. So cheers to the dynamic sisterhood of Lucy and Elizabeth Webb who came to visit. And for that matter, cheers to Virginia Maxwell-Irby, Gloria Barbre, and Kathy Udell, three of my colleagues at Fiberworks.

In December I participated in the Del Ray Artisans Holiday Fine Arts and Fine Crafts Market. It was a fabulous three-day experience and I made great friends with other artists, too numerous to mention. The picture of the three folks encircled by display tables shows where I spent three happy days. And finally, Mark McGinnis and Lisa Flynn made an appearance. While there, Mark bought the Love Notes Pin that he later wore for the Love Notes Challenge picture. See that blog, www.LoveNotesChallenge.blogspot.com.

Selling at The Back Door in Arlington

2006-11-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

As of today, November 16, Fiber of Her Being Love Notes necklaces and pins are available for sale at The Back Door, a furniture consignment and gift shop in the Harris Teeter shopping center on Lee Highway and Harrison Street in Arlington, Virginia. The Back Door is downstairs -- I didn't even know there was a downstairs -- with an entrance near the pet shop (for the local folks among you). It is chock full of jewelry, scarves, pillows, paintings, furniture, sconces; in short, anything you might possibly want to decorate your self and setting. My little necklaces are in very good company.

The Back Door's website focuses on its "staging" services: designing, lending, and arranging furnishings for open houses when people want to get a good price for their homes. I never knew that type of service existed, but they seem to be quite good at it. See their site at www.TheBackDoorInc.com and stop by their shop when you're in Arlington.

To buy Love Notes necklaces directly, see my website at http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/index_files/LoveNotesNecklaces.htm, then don't forget to take the Love Notes Challenge. That's described at http://www.fiberofherbeing.com/index_files/LoveNotesChallenge.htm and pictures of the participants are shown at http://www.lovenoteschallenge.blogspot.com/.

Portrait of a Home Town

2006-11-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

This photo shows my most recent quilt: Portrait of a Home Town. It's my rendition of Huntsville, Texas, my home town, in the early days. I printed photos of the original Huntsville homes onto fabric to add to the quilt. Most of the images come from antique postcards of the actual Huntsville houses, taken in black and white then colorized by hand. One image came from a 1919 photograph that a friend and postcard collector found somewhere. Another image came from a contemporary photograph of a house that has recently been restored and turned into an arts center. The forest of surrounding trees was meant to loosely depict the original vegetation of the area: magnolias, elms, oaks, and pecans; namely, no pines, which we usually associate with the modern East Texas.

The house on the bottom left corner belonged to General Sam Houston back in the day. I remember visiting it many times as a Brownie. Its original owner, Sam Houston, who gave his name to our neighboring Big City, was the first President of the Republic of Texas. The house directly to the right of his home is the President's House at Sam Houston State University, which started out as the first teacher's college in the state. Before he helped win independence from Mexico and start the Texan Republic, Sam Houston spent some time living with the local Native American population. They named him "The Raven," and in honor of that heritage, the quilt shows a raven flying in the sky above the town.

Faber Family Tree

2006-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

Six Faber siblings have commissioned a family tree for their parents for Christmas. Minus a few last family members waiting to go on covered buttons, the wall-hanging is all ready for the big day.