May Day Studio Open House

I'm having a "May Day" Studio Open House. If you live in and around Plymouth you are invited to come!

You are invited to a Studio Open House

Saturday, May 1, 2010

10am - 5 pm

Visit the studio and see my new work including fiber jewelry.

Welcome "May Day" in with punch and cookies and chat with the artist (that would be me!).

Items will be for sale.

Remember Mother's day is coming up!

Visit my website, http://www.judyconnorjones.com/ for e-mail address to get directions.

Soapberries

Have you ever heard of soapberries? I hadn't until a few months ago when I went to my local farmer's market at Plimoth Plantation. One of the vendors was selling soapberries. OK, I was curious! What are soapberries? Do you eat them? Do you plant them? No, you wash with them, hence the name soapberries! Well, I listened to how ecologically sound these berries were and how they come from a tree plentiful in India and China. Some can be found in Florida and California but they are not as plentiful in the USA. These berries have a sap called saponin which is a natural cleaning agent. Who knew! Well, apparently alot of people knew!!!! Just Goggle soapberries and you will be surprised how many people use them and all the information that is out there. So for a mere $2.50 I bought a sample bag and tried them. I loved them!

It takes about 4-5 whole berries to do a wash. Each berry lasts around 5 washes although I have found them to last longer. When they deteriorate and only the thin shell is left, you put them out in your garden for compost! We have been using the soapberries now for at least a month and a half. Our clothes are clean and we are helping Mother Earth. Our septic system especially the leaching field says "Thank You". I'm also using them to wash my handwoven fabrics that I sell so rest assure you will not be getting a product that has been washed in chemicals.

Here's a picture of the soapberries. You just put 4-5 of them in the muslin bag and throw it in the wash.

Check them out at http://www.soberryclean.com/ and if you live in Plymouth, MA go to the next Farmer's Market on May 19 at Plimoth Plantation and check them out for yourself.

Another cleaning product I use is called Eucalan. It is made for washing woolen items. It is a no rinse lanolin enriched natural wash product. It comes in Unscented, Eucalyptus, Lavender, or Grapefruit. I use this product to wash and finish my wool and silk collapse weave scarves. You simple pour it in, squeeze the item gently to loosen up the soil, and let it soak for 15 minutes. No need to rinse. Your wool items come out clean and smelling great. I always give customers who buy a collapse weave scarf a sample of this product. With only one application of water there is less chance of felting. You avoid agitation and water temperature differences which are the things that cause shrinking and felting of wool. Since this is a product not easily found in stores I carry 100 ml bottles of it, available for purchase, in my studio.

So, be kind to the earth. We are the caretakers of this world. Let's get better at it!!!

Photo Shoot

Every few years I need to invest in good photography of my work. Since I enter juried shows it is a must to have photography that best represents my work. When I first started out selling my work in 1990, I was lucky enough to get into a well known local show in Rochester, NY with just photos I had taken. As the competition for spots in shows increased, that no longer was enough so I made a trade for photo shots with a friend and amateur photographer and a local high school girl who was an aspiring model. She received the experience and modeling shots, my photographer friend received fashion photography experience, and I received photo shots of my work for juring into shows. That all worked for a while, but then I realized how many times people were attracted to the model who was beautiful, young, and always smiling into the camera. I don't know how many times I was asked if she was my daughter! While I would have loved to claim her as my daughter (I have 2 boys!) I wanted people to notice and remark about the clothes! I was beginning to learn that professional or semi professional shots are complicated!

To make this story short, it is time for new photography of my work. On Tuesday I went into the South End of Boston with assorted pieces of my work (many new items) and had a 4 hour photography session. The photographer I am working with is very good. I discovered him at a show I did in Boston last Nov. I've been working with him to develop his skill in the juried show photo area. These shots are different than just a straight product shot. They require a background which makes the object pop while not creating a stark glaring difference. The shots must help the jury focus on the work.

The model we hired was great. She too must be able to show the clothes to their best advantage even when they are a size too big! Both of these people must work well together and between all 3 of us we bring suggestions and expertise "to the table". I would definitely work with both of these people again. It was a fun long tiring day but I received some great images of my work and made some new friends.

Thanks, Mike and Jessica. It was fun working with you.

Here are a few images from the photo shoot.

Photography Credit: Mike Ritter, http://www.ritterbin.com/

Model: Jessica Hansen http://www.jessicahansen.com/

All work on this blog is copyrighted.

Alleluia!

During the six weeks of Lent First Baptist Church in Plymouth has been on a “Journey to Newness.” We have experienced the sign posts of temptation, challenge, reliance, grace, assurance, and boldness along the way. Each of us has traveled our own path and along the way we have encounter others headed for the same destination, the newness that the resurrection brings.

A significant part of our journey to newness has been to let go of the past and yet at the same time use the past to help shape the future. We symbolized that by taking the old purple panels that hung in the sanctuary previous years during Lent and making them into something new. I worked with a small group in the church to create the new art experience within the context of worship. The art piece we created symbolized our starting out on separate paths, which merged as we traveled along the way to the cross and newness.

Now it is Easter. The newness has emerged. The purple has been replaced by white. Our paths are now woven together as we experience the Resurrected Christ. Our many paths have become one. We are one and yet many as we each journey in newness out into the world.

Alleluia! Have a Joyous and Blessed Easter!

Ecclesiastical Installation

I've mentioned before in this blog about working with my church on what I call "Experiential Art Within the Context of Worship". Long title but it best describes one way I feel that art can be expressed in the worship setting. By that I mean all who enter are in some way participants with the art. They are not just observers but are caught up in the art by either making it or being encompassed by it.


The first Lent that my husband and I were at First Baptist Church in Plymouth, we worked with the congregation to experience God's wonderful gift of creativity. We all have it somewhere and in some form. We just need to find it and have it brought forth. My belief is that a God who creates in his/ her own image would surely give humans the ability to create. It can show up in many forms according to the gift of each individual.





The first Lent we dyed 14 silk panels purple and hung them throughout the sanctuary so that no matter where you sat you were a part of the hue of purple, the liturgical color during Lent . So after 4 Lenten seasons we decided that the panels were losing their effectiveness and that something new needed to happen. Since the theme for Lent this year was to be "Journey to Newness" we decided to rip up those panels and make them into something new. So a new journey began.

I worked with a small group to decide what we would do with all this purple fabric. We discussed the journey theme and decided that we were all travelers on different paths headed toward a common destination, the Cross and Resurrection. Symbolically we designed pathways from the torn panels which extend throughout the sanctuary and lead to the cross. This is all hung high in the sanctuary so all who enter are encompassed in the art and can experience it from where they sit. The weekly themes which are talked about in the sermon are added to the end of the paths each week. Those themes are Temptation, Challenges, Reliance, Grace, Assurance, and Boldness.







We are now in the process of working on the next phase of this installation which is to rip up the white panels that had previously hung for Easter and make them into a woven pathway which will extend from the cross out into the sanctuary on Easter morning. The paths will be white, the liturgical color for Easter, and they will be woven together as symbolically we all join the same journey from the Cross out into the world and into newness.





If you are in or near Plymouth, come see and experience the wonderful gift of creativity and be a part of the journey. The church website is http://www.fbc-plymouth.org/.



Blessings for the Journey!

"One of a Kind"

From time to time I enjoy departing from weaving scarves and tops in order to do "one of a kind pieces". When I weave a garment many times there is left over warp so I continue to weave cloth that can be used for something else at another time. These pieces of handwoven cloth go into my extra fabric stash. When I am ready I pull them out and make something with them. Sometimes it's a handwoven embellished purse, sometimes it becomes the embellishment on something, and other times it becomes a shrug.

A shrug for those of you who do not know is a shawl type garment that has a very small sleeve seam so that when worn if it falls off your shoulder the sleeves will keep it from leaving the body completely.

I just finished working on one of these. They are time consuming as I am designing the embellishments as I go. I am hunting through my stash of interesting fabric, trims, beads, buttons, etc. in hopes of finding just the right items to use.

This time I looked into my stash of samples from a complex cloth class I took which was taught by Jane Dunnewold (the complex cloth guru!). These samples are only about 10" x 12"and are dyed, over dyed, discharged, screen printed, stamped, and painted. Multiple techniques are used to make the cloth design. Since I have documented all the processes used for each sample, I am free to use them , soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, I decided to cut them on the bias and use them for trim and binding.

Here are a few pictures of the process. It goes like this:

These are my complimentary complex cloth samples. One has been dyed, over dyed, discharged, stenciled, stamped and printed. The other has only been dyed and over dyed.

Bias trim is cut from both cloths.

I organize the fabrics. Here are 3 complex cloth fabrics and 2 handwoven fabrics. All will be sewn together. I love this color combination!

The bias trim is applied to the handwoven fabric. The other complimentary fabric is used as piping.

Seams are covered for a couture finish.

Here is the completed piece with the third complex sample creating the binding along the upper edge.

Drawing Inspiration

Recently I visited the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. There is a wonderful exhibit right now called "Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel". Basically it is the fashions from one woman's closet! But, OH MY, what an interesting closet! And even more interesting is the way she puts pieces together.

Iris Apfel is a women of flamboyant and eclectic tastes. In her wardrobe are pieces from designers and pieces from flea markets around the world. She has a knack for pairing the most unusual with couture designs. She converts large Turkish belt buckles to brooches, Bakelite sample chips to necklaces, and unusual Tibetan carrying cases to purses.

I think my 2 favorite pieces in the whole show are an Antonio del Castillo (circa 1961) gold lame ribbon applique, beads, and rhinestone evening coat. It is spectacular! I have a friend who I know would covet it instantly!

The other piece is much simpler. It is a beautiful Krizia (1980) cornelian twin sweater set paired with a multicolored silk brocade, silk damask, and silk embroidered wrap skirt. The fabric is from the Chinese, Qing Dynasty! It is accessorized with a very long silk corded necklace of cornelian, jade, and metal. Once again from the Chinese, Qing Dynasty. (I'd love to shop at the flea markets where she shops!) I could see myself wearing this many times over!

The point that Iris makes over and over again (and she is alive and well in New York) is discover your style. Express yourself through clothes, have fun with them, and don't be afraid of what other's think. I have to add that it helps if you have a little bit of a sense of what looks interesting and fashionable together with out being costume-y or clownish! Sometimes there is a fine line!

This exhibit is only on until Feb 7 (Sunday). If you can't make the exhibit you can check out pictures on-line at http://www.pem.org/. There is also a wonderful article written for the Boston Globe about Iris and the exhibit. Go to http://www.boston.com/ and google Iris Apfel.

Hope this inspires you to be creative and express yourself through apparel and accessories. Live adventurously! Be a work of art!

20 Years!

As is my custom the first couple weeks in January, I take inventory and get all my information together for taxes. This year as I was doing my inventory I noticed that I have had some yarns for 20 years! Yikes!!!! As I was thinking about that and remembering what I was originally going to weave with those yarns, I realized that this year, 2010, celebrates 20 years of my business!

I started the business in 1990 when we lived in Rochester, NY and my sons were 10 and 7. I and 2 other friends got together, invited a few other friends, called ourselves Artisans 3+ and had a home show. We were the 3 J's, Jinny, Jeannie, and Judy! Jinny does Quilling and makes wonderful small quilled dolls called "Jinisans". Jeannie is a skilled Counted Cross Thread Embroiderer. She does beautiful reproduction samplers. We had great fun planning the sale and admiring each other's work!

I think that first year I sold around $500 worth of items in our one day sale to friends and family. There are some shows today that I have not sold as much! Today I don't consider that a good show but in 1990 that was great for a beginning one day home show.

Twenty years and 2 moves later, I am still in business. Each move the business took a little set back as I re-established myself. This last move took several years to get back into the business swing but I am looking forward to my 20th year being the best year yet!

I am grateful to all of you who have supported me throughout those 20 years, especially my husband, Jeff. Without your loyalty to what I do, your encouragement, and your advice, I wouldn't still be doing this. I am also grateful for all my loyal buyers who continue to buy from me and tell other people about my work. When I see you wearing one of my scarves or tops or hats, it makes it all worth while. I love hearing from you and love seeing you at shows.

I am still in touch with Jinny and Jeannie even though we live miles apart. They were a significant part of my learning and growing the business. Thank you J & J.

Check out that curly hair! OK, OK, don't laugh too much. It was 20 years ago! My husband says I've improved with age and am better looking today! Bless him! He knows the right thing to say!

Newness

It's a new year and a new decade! I remember how apprehensive we all were when the millennium was new. Something about newness that brings worry along with anticipation. Can they ever be separated? Without the worry, the anticipation would probably not be as exciting.

As this new year begins, I look out my window and see white snow falling. White, pure snow is a sign of newness for me. I remember when we lived in Rochester, NY and it snowed almost every day from November to March. They were long (very long!) winters but the snow was always fresh and made new by the daily snowfall. It brought light to a winter which seemed to go on forever! I sold a lot of white mohair scarves!

We have had a lot of snow this winter so far. There was the blizzard on Dec. 19/20. We had 20 inches of snow, just in time for our family to arrive from Florida! Our new daughter-in-law who has lived in Florida all her life was able to experience a white Christmas for the first time. We manged to have some snow fall while she was here letting her have the full snow experience! We kept the fireplace going so everyone would be "toasty warm". Hot chocolate seemed to be popular too! (A perfect New England Christmas!)

So the snow outside my window is reminding me of warm family get togethers along with new experiences and thoughts of all the new things to happen in 2010.

I wish you new thoughts, new adventures, new friends, new experiences, and a sense of newness in everything you do. Happy New Year! May 2010 be your best year yet!

Here are pictures from the Blizzard! We woke up to snow covered windows. It looked like a scene in Dr. Zhivago!

A message of Hope!

I love this time of year! This year we are very blessed to have my son and daughter-in-law here along with my husband's sister. They all live in Florida and we have managed to have 18-20 inches of snow on the ground for a White Christmas. We've enjoyed sharing a cold snowy New England Christmas with them around a warm fire. We will also have our other son and future daughter-in-law here on Christmas Day. We are blessed to have family that can be with us.

For me, Christmas has always been more than just a holiday. It is a time of waiting for Promises to be fulfilled, for Wonder to stop me in my tracks, and for Hope to be reclaimed. For me it is about God's wonderful and abundant love for all humankind. That love was and is being fulfilled in the promise of a baby, the wonder of a night long ago, and the hope for a better world where relationships are not broken, nations work together, the poor are rewarded, and peace reigns.


I've been starting to work more with Ecclesiastical Installations within the church worship service. I have a strong belief that a God who creates would not have created humans in his/her image without giving us creative abilities. I have been working with my own church to bring that creative ability forward in the lives of the members. This Advent season we have collectively been creating a mosaic. Each week during the worship service pieces of the mosaic were added. The final installation will take place tonight at the Christmas Eve service. Stop by First Baptist Church in Plymouth if you want to be a part of this experience.

As a message of hope I want to share the pictures of the progression of the mosaic with you and wish you all the Hope, Peace, and Joy that a living Creator wants all his/her children to have.


What ever you celebrate at this time of year, may you experience the presence of the Creator and the glory of a night long ago.

Holiday Open House

I had a wonderful time at my Holiday Studio Open House. The studio was decked out with all my handwoven creations. People came and purchased for which I am very grateful. I was able to connect with the people who buy my work on a more informal and intimate basis than at a show. I might add that the cookies and Wassail were excellent!!!! Those chocolate snack cookies seemed to disappear fast! I'll share the recipe with anyone who would like it. Just send me a note in the comment section.

Many people are curious about the Wassail. It is a hot spiced recipe that I make using cranapple juice, pineapple juice, and spices. Wassail is an ancient English custom. The master of the English Household would drink to the health of those present with spiced ale. The phase Wass Hael or Be Well was repeated as each drank from the bowl of Wassail. My punch is spiced but none alcoholic!

Congratulations to Linda Tassinari who won the door prize which was a wide chenille scarf valued at $85.

If you missed my Holiday event, make sure you come next year! You might win the door prize!

Holiday Studio Open House

Come join me this weekend at my Holiday Studio Open House. You can Holiday Shop, visit the Studio, enjoy a cup of Wassail, and enter to win the Door Prize.

I have been working on some necklaces and pins based on the Eco-Green necklace that I did for my weaving guild's challenge this past spring. They are a smaller version of that necklace and will sell at gift giving prices. They are made from pieces of my handwoven fabric and items from my "stash of stuff"! I will be showing them at my studio only. Here are a few pictures to peek your interest.

November Skies

Have you ever noticed in November when the trees have turned red and orange and the sky becomes a beautiful grey blue color when a storm is either approaching or ending? The sun casts a back light and the sky becomes this gorgeous color against the backdrop of the trees. Everything is back lit and the colors become more vibrant.

A few weeks ago this was happening outside my studio. Every time I tried to capture it on the camera the clouds rolled in and the sun went away. I wanted to try to mimic those colors in a scarf using Barnett Newman's technique of "Zips". I have talked about him before. He was an abstract expressionist and in his paintings he developed a technique of introducing a second or third color by painting what he called "Zips". They were lines of color, usually unexpected but very pleasing.

Here are the results of my efforts.

There are actually 3 scarves here varying in color from a lighter blue to a charcoal blue color. For the "Zips" I used a variegated yarn which goes from a spice orange color to brown to red and along with a forest green variegated yarn.

I am very happy with the scarves.

I will have these scarves at my show this weekend in Duxbury, MA. If you are in the neighborhood, come visit my booth. You can get more information by going to my website, http://www.judyconnorjones.com/, and linking on Duxbury Art Association’s 37th Annual Craft Showcase.

Hope to see you there.

"Art on the Pews"

What a lovely little show this was! Unfortunately, very few people came to see it. It was their loss as the work presented was excellent! There were 21 artists in the show, both fine art and fine craft and live continuous music performances.

The people from St Peter's Episcopal Church couldn't have been nicer. They did all the right things. They had volunteers there to help unload and load. They had people there to help with set up if you needed it. They provided grids and lights for those who needed that for their set up. And they provided the boards to go over the pews for those who used tables for display.

They went over and above to help where ever they could.

The breakfast they provided on Saturday morning was a virtual feast! And they gave awards and door prizes to the artists! They treated us like gold!

I felt like I made several friends, both artists and congregants. This was such a contrast from the treatment I received at the last show!!!!! They definitely were the "Craft Show Angels"!

I made a few sales, enough to cover costs but not enough to be profitable. It's too bad because these are the types of shows I as an artist love to support. The unfortunate side is I need to make a profit and there was so little traffic and it seemed like so little potential for my buyer to show up that I have to think long and hard about doing the show in the future. What a dilemma.

How long do you stay loyal to a show because you like the people? Right now with selling so hard the business hard edge, I am afraid, must prevail. Any thoughts on the topic?