Forest for the Trees

Forest for the Trees is a Yarn Bombing Los Angeles exhibit at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX airport. It was installed in March 2019 and will be up for 6 months. I contributed 5 little birds to it. Spot them in the pictures! Update 2020: All 5 Little birds are now a permanent part of the ever moving and growing Forest for the Trees exhibit! Soar high my little birds!

About the exhibit from the YBLA website:

Old-growth forests exhibit distinctive ecological features and are often home to rare, threatened, and endangered species of plants and animals, making them ecologically signicant. Unfortunately, many of our old-growth forest stands are threatened by habitat destruction at the invasive hands of man. This fiber-based installation hopes to address the wonders and perils of the forest by creating an environment that is at once unique and fantastic, dangerous and bizarre, and by acknowledging that one day, the built environment may be all that’s left.

Artists used standard, recycled, and unusual materials to create trees, ground cover, animals, water, rain, and much more.

Participating artists include:
Edith Abeyta, Amy Bauer, Luisa Bottari, Leslie Brown, Alexandra Busby, Yolanda Diaz, Katelyn Dorroh, Beth Elliott, Jacque Lene Engel, Carmela Gomes, Margaret Hateld, Heather Hoggan, Amy Caterina Hill, Kristen Johannsen, Lisa Jong, Julie Kornblum, Arzu Arda Kosar, Justine Leong, Charlotte Marshall, Tyler Mitzner, Theresa Knopf Morgan, Lauri Mraz, Diane Olson-Baskin, Racquel “Rocky” Ormsby, David Orozco, Olga O’Shea, Adrianna Rianna, Judy Richards, Connie Rohman, Joan Sauve, Erin Shea, Ann Storc, Kacy Treadway, Jane Wang, Jessica Wards, Tracy Williams, Darlyn Susan Yee, and Carol Zou. Threadwinners: Alyssa Arney and Liz Flynn. High Desert Yarn Stormers: Diane Bush, Jeanette Johannes, Linda Leonard, Hui-Mei Ellis, Linda Cahoon, Irene Cochran, Linda Greco, Laura Henley, Rita Poon, Maria Zapata, Terri Lonski, Connie Grifn, Kazuko Tajima.

This exhibition is presented by Los Angeles World Airports and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Photos by Panic Studio LA, courtesy of Los Angeles World Airports and City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Human Ecology

On November 20 I was a guest speaker for “Artists as Activists and Change Agents” class for Human Ecology at Otis College of Art and Design. I focused on Full Circle: re-birth of a tree, how it lead to wearable art. Plus I surprised the student by giving them 45 minutes to create some wearable art. Afterwards we held a fashion show and photo shoot! It was super fun. As soon as I said start they started running like they were on Project Runway.

They made some fantastic pieces. A working rain coat. An outfit for royalty. A prom/wedding dress. And an array of accessories including a working belt! All out of discarded items I brought to class. They were all given one element as a theme and one plastic tablecloth as a base.

Wearable Art Fashion Show

On January 11, 2018 I entered a call for a wearable art fashion show with the theme of trees. The very next day I received a response saying my idea was accepted! Amazingly fast and super exciting. For the next few months I sewed and glued up a storm! First I created a full length gown styled in a 1940’s house coat or robe. Something you would throw on over a slip to answer the door. They had not given any size requirements, so I created it to fit me if I was several inches taller.

After it was sewn I then started to glue handmade paper bits all over it. It was an extension of my paper shirts series. I delivered it to the Lancaster Museum of Art and History on April 21. On Saturday, May 12 the dress was worn in their annual Mother’s Day Tea Fashion Show! Below are some pictures from the show!

Before the show
Table layout
Waiting for show to start
Finding seat
Menu
Designers listed
Opening act
Showing off bag
Dress and bag
Beginning to strut
Models come back
Close up
On roof top
Fun in the sun
Working the pockets
Designs group shot
Designer and Model
Bag, Model and designer

Stitching

All I did for Christmas 2017 is stitch! Which I plan to do again this year!

I sewed presents for little ones early in the year then stitched presents for adults the second half of the year. So many stitches both by hand and machine. Home goods seemed to be the theme for the adults. Here are some images of the ones I remember to photograph!

Fabric reindeer we now call floppy since I left his antlers flopping. Upcycled potholder from shorts and napkins that caused my parents to immediately set the table.

Who knows what I will come up with this year! I do but I mustn’t say yet! Shhh!

 

 

 

A Piece of Me

Art is a piece of someone’s heart and soul. A self-expression left behind.
What impact will you have on the world? What will you leave behind?

An outdoor installation facilitated by Yarn Bombing Los Angeles
In conjunction with New Threads: Perspectives In Contemporary Fiber Art
Laband Art Gallery, Loyola Marymount University
January 27-March 17, 2018
Opening Reception Saturday, January 27, 2-5pm

Participating Artists: 
​Julie Kornblum, Judy Richards, David Orozco, Darlyn Susan Yee
Bernice “Bee” Colman, Dreameco Crafts (Amy Bauer & Richard Hecht) with Britta Amundsen, Sandy Dingman, Susana Ethial, Gia “Hooked Hands” Forsyth, Heather Hoggan, Kristen Johannesen, Theresa Knopf, Meg Lewis, Sandy Lewis, Carolyn Mason, Nicole Murph, Cat Chiu Phillips, Connie Rohman, Threadwinners (Alyssa Arney & Liz Flynn), Edna Torres, Mariam Youssef

Dreameco’s yarn bom Tree #2. Installed by Amy & Richard pictured below.

Tree #2

A new year a new yarn bomb!

Started the new year out right by making art! A Piece of Me is a new art exhibit from Yarn Bombing Los Angeles and Dreameco Crafts (Amy Bauer and Richard Hecht) along with our knitting guru Britta Amundsen and other yblaers opens January 27. And once again I’m yarnbombing a tree!

An outdoor installation facilitated by Yarn Bombing Los Angeles
In conjunction with New Threads: Perspectives In Contemporary Fiber Art
Laband Art Gallery, Loyola Marymount University
January 27-March 17, 2018
Opening Reception Saturday, January 27, 2-5pm

I also believe we have a YBLA workshop on Saturday, February 17, 12-3pm in the same location as above.

Here is a sneak preview of our work… hope it entice’s you to stop by to see it on the tree!

 

 

Fabric Triangle

The best toy I’ve ever made for a 1-year-old or younger has to be a fabric triangle. The first little boy I made one for is now six. Where did the time go! Anyway he still owns and loves his triangle. His is a monster. My most recent one was for my youngest nephew. He grabbed it and ran! This time I cut letters out of fabric and put on one each side.

Here are some pictures of  the finished project. It is mostly filled with polyfil and a bit of fabric scraps.  I used all my polyfil and do not plan on buying more. I have been saving scrap fabric, threads and old socks to use as stuffing.

 

Late Birthday / Early Christmas

This year I was seeing my immediate family on my mother’s birthday and my husband’s aunt’s birthday. Both in early October. I decided to let bring presents not only for them, but also for a young niece and nephew how have birthdays in August and September. Plus Christmas presents for all the nieces and nephews. Phew that was a lot of gift giving sewing! Luckily everything was small and did not take up much room in the luggage.

Birthday presents:

For my niece I made her a hedgehog from a Jo Carter pattern as seen in Simply Sewing (UK sewing magazine I love). Like I stated in my last post, I don’t usually follow patterns for stuffed animals. But these are really some whimsical super cute stuffed animals.

sadie and hedgehog

My niece and her hedgehog. Plus bow in her hair!

For my nephew I made a triangle with letters on it. He immediately grabbed it and ran off with it. Perfect size. Now if he wasn’t so quick I could have got some more pictures of him with it.

Evan and triangle

My nephew, still holding onto his triangle! 

For both my mom and aunt I created their own potholder/hot plate trivet out of fabric. I also cut out and sewed an individual design to each. For my mother I made a simple heart that I used a wide blanket stitch to attach to the top of it. For our aunt I drew a dove, used a little bit of fabric marker to outline a branch it was holding and hand stitched it onto the top. This took some time. I drew my design out of paper first and used that as a pattern piece to cut out the fabric. Then trimmed the fabric as needed.

photo 1

Front side of potholder. Dove cut out. 

Christmas presents:

Two nephews equal two double bow ties that match! If the family every is able to coordinate then I will imagine both of them wearing their bow ties the same time. I won’t hold my breath through.

For my nieces. The little one got hair bows that match the bow ties. She immediately took them apart. I fixed them, but she is in the take apart stage so these may need some fixing again when I next visit them. The older one got a little bag I constructed out of interior design fabric. She likes dark colors so I made it black/auburn and dark purple. It can be used quite literally for anything. I think she will find use for it. I know I have for each little bag I’ve made myself!

I’ll have to work on getting some pictures of these things. Seems I was in such a hurry making I didn’t document! That happens with most of my creations. I make them and pass them onto others without ever taking any images. Haven’t we all though : )

Now I just have two more birthdays and three more Christmas plus Hanukkah presents to make for 2017! Better get back to my sewing machine!

 

Little Lion

For my nephew’s birthday I decided to sew him a lion. I followed a pattern in Issue 21 of the UK magazine Simply Sewing by Jo Carter of Two Owls Design. Of course I did a few things my own way. I used fabric I had, made everything the same fabric, added buttons for eyes instead of safety eyes, sewed them and the mouth on before I was finished and then made the lion a vest out of felt without a pattern. I added buttons to the vest that seemed royal. My first stuffed animal made from someone else’s pattern. I think it came out great. My nephew likes his lion and our cat does too.

Oh and I made a lion card!