curved needle

I've been happy every Monday night at the NC State craft center, learning some variations on coptic stitch. And I was glad to be asked again to make a custom bound journal (for another birthday present). The custom journal was simpler this time --though the cover turned out to be a lot of fun. My client picked three locations from his friend's life and I found them on maps and made a collaged cover. 

first variation: points and crosses

custom bound journal with map collage cover

  

In other news, my life is about to turn into an even wilder ride. 

I am leaving my job, starting a business with the best business partner in the world, and taking a good long look at some real "career" goals. I'm considering going back to school, but seeking some (happy) part-time work in the mean time to keep supporting my family. And all of this is reminding me of how much I love using a curved needle when I'm stitching up a book... I need more than a straight needle to hook the thread with confidence (and without ripping the paper). I need a needle with character, a needle with a little wobble. I want to see my life as that curved needle... strange, sharp, and immensely useful for at least one reason.

Isn't it just like lent, and spring, to bring on more changes and more growth in strange, sharp directions? Who am I to not take a risk. I will at least be happy on Monday nights, in a room with strangers and paper, curved needle in hand. 

making it happen,

m.

the birthday of wings

i thank You God for most this amazing day by ericwhitacre


I was privileged to hear this song preformed last month by the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Durham, at their ACDA Convention Preview Performance. I have long loved this poem, but composer Eric Whitacre has done something truly extraordinary. This poem and song seem very fitting for me right now... after all,

"how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing anything -lifted from the no
of all nothing -human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?"

Yesterday I was finally able to sit down, with all the supplies at hand, and bind that journal I'd been commissioned to make.

linoleum cover showing carved sailboat, stitched binding, and functional elastic pen-strap 

I love the material choices my client and I made -very textural. It was so fun to experiment with the linoleum cover. I love the simple sailboat line-drawing carved into this material -though it'd be fun to try a more elaborate design too. The cover also has a burlap-y reverse side that looks great against the white coordinate (dotted) pages. We talked about doing a blue and yellow "horizon" on the back of the book, but I did this on the back inside cover instead. I think this helps pull the theme of the design together without distracting from whatever creativity will happen on the pages. And it also makes the elastic pen-strap blend more into the design. (The white horizontal line is the elastic extending across the inside covers. Beautiful and functional: love it.)

close-up of stitch and elastic pen-strap
(back cover board, sealed and sanded to add texture)

another view of this beautiful stitch
with the surprise inside back cover color peaking through

Aaron was away at Anathoth leading a workshop on "The Craft & Spirituality of Bread Making" so I had Saturday to myself. I realized, as I took over the dinning table (because it is so bright and warm in the dinning room in the middle of the day), that I love working with my hands. I love coptic stitch binding. I love the curved needle and the waxy thread. In the middle of my work I stopped and thought to myself how lovely it would be to do this everyday....




i'm just waiting for the eyes of my eyes to open,
m.




p.s. Please contact me at megan[at]sunandbone.com if you are interested in commissioning a custom bound journal!