I'm not sure what happened but...

As part of one of my assignments for the Experimental Art E-course, I was supposed to "with wild abandon...splot, splat, drip, dribble, press, stamp, wipe, dab across whole pages in your sketchbook."

Well, for some reason this morning....maybe because Friday's a day for folly...I decided to use that old stained shirt I took from Jim's closet to use for my improvisational summer embroidery...

And use it as my sketchbook...

And this is what happened...

I think I got the wild abandon part...And I used some improv wisdom too...using tools I had on hand in the kitchen like a mushroom brush, a basting brush, a straw, a back scratcher (everybody has one of those in their kitchen, I'm sure of it...)...and no plan whatsoever. I had a ball flicking, splatting, pouring and dripping.

And now I have a shirt that I still intend to embroider all over. But, boy, I'm not sure if it's going to look completely stupid or totally cool. Jack put his two cents in and thinks I should donate it to a clown. I think his vote counts for "stupid"...

I'm still undecided. It really does look cooler in person, I swear. But I can't help but imagine myself wearing one of those rainbow clown wigs...with the shirt...and I can see Jack's point. Oh well, time will tell...

On another bright note, I was very ExCITEd that Patricia Ryan Madson, the author of Improv Wisdom commented on my last blog post and that we connected. That was definitely cool. AND, she has a blog! Check it out.

She was very generous and offered to send me an autographed copy of her book for my giveaway. That means I can pick TWO folks to receive a book. And the Random Number Generator chose numbers 2 and 9 -- that's Carol S and Catherine!! Send me your addresses please ladies. And I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on the book once you've read it.

Speaking of reading, here's my Summer book pile...

I'd love to hear what you're reading this Summer?

Now that I've got wild abandon on the brain...I should probably add one of those hot, steamy romances to the pile. (Any suggestions?)

I like that phrase...wild abandon...

So I googled it. It means surrendering to your impulses. Send in the clown.

Summer Improv

Let's face it. Life is something we all make up as we go along.

No matter how much we try to control it or script it, our life has a way of throwing us curve balls and challenges...and often people...that we don't plan for or expect. So why not be realistic and, instead of thinking of bigger and better ways of planning, WE get better at improvising.


I love this book...Improv Wisdom. It's a quick read, chock full of wisdom on how to master the art of improvisation in our own lives...how to loosen up, think on our feet, and say yes to the unexpected...all of the skills needed for living an unscripted life.

I think it was serendipitous that I re-read this book while thinking about my stitching plan for the Summer.

What about no plan? Nothing is better than when we have the opportunity to let Summer take its own course.


Why not drive to the Ocean at the last minute to swim in the waves? Or drop everything to go hear a concert in the park...make a picnic...have a water gun fight...blow bubbles?


Sounds great but how about my stitching routine? I still need to wake up every day to a needle and a stitching ritual...

Last year I came up with Summer Charm School and I enjoyed it very much. And I was glad at the end of the Summer that I had taken time to read some of my books and learn new techniques...many of which I used over and over again in my work throughout the year.

The downside of Summer Charm School was that I "studied" a different technique every week...which required different supplies each week...and then I put the constraint on myself of making them into charms. I spent more time finding supplies and constructing the charm than I did on the actual stitching.

This Summer I needed to create a structure...a ritual...a habit for my stitching that meets the following criteria:

• Projects must be portable
• Projects must require finite, simple supplies that I already have on hand
  
• Projects must be flexible to time, place and lighting conditions

Funny, Mary Corbet of Needle n' Thread just posted about this the other day...Needlework on the Road?...and it wasn't just Mary's post that I found interesting, but the 92!! comments that she received. I LOVED reading about how stitchers handle Summer and traveling with their embroidery...it was fascinating.


OK. So for me this Summer, I've decided to go improvisational with my embroidery...

I plan to spend each day with my needle...what type of needle and what I will stitch, I'm going to leave up to chance.

I've gotten an old shirt of Jim's out of the closet to stitch on...and a big bag of embroidery floss...so that's one of my canvases.

I imagine it will be similar to the stitch doodling I did on this skirt. I like the idea of stitch doodling.


I also would like to learn a few new beading techniques. So a few beads and some beading thread will come with me to the beach to try out new techniques. I need to figure out how to interpret the pleats in that beautiful dress I'm doing for the Haute Couture beading challenge...

I have taken my Rainbow Shawl back out of the closet for the Summer to stitch on the long drives and at night after the sun goes down and the light gets too low for fine work.

And as for my tambour beading, I've decided to frame up a sampler where I can just sit and play...doodle, if you will...with my tambour hook to get practice. No plan, just stitch and try out new techniques.

And that's it. I hope this blog will keep me honest and on track so that I have accomplished something by the end of the Summer. It just may not be what I plan for...and that's OK.

So, I think I'll try something like...

Monday Mishaps...

Wednesday Wonders...and...

Friday Follies.

So there you have it. I'm relinquishing control and letting Summer set the course for my stitches. And I'll use some Improv Wisdom as a guidebook.


The only requirement is that stitching must happen every day.

And to celebrate the kickoff of Summer, I'd love to send a copy of this book to out to one of you who leaves a comment. I'll pick a winner on Friday, June 25 at midnight.

Who knows, maybe you would like to join me...

Improv anyone?

Tomorrow I'll share my Summer reading list...

Then I'll see you on Friday for some FUN...!!!!