Shine On !

Shine on! 

Here are a few more flags of hope that i made recently.

It is a wonderful process of sifting through pieces of painted fabrics and torn strips while the mind sorts words to stitch upon them, words that turn my mind to hopeful ideas and thoughts in this seemingly world gone nuts. This process is best for me  with classical music softly playing in the next room or bird song or the sound of wind in the trees or light rainfall are also wonderful 

as is silence.

Shine on .  "And we all shine on!" 

i can almost hear John Lennon singing this...

After words have been selected and embroidery threads selected from the nest they have become in colorful storage, i sit and stitch with a large eyed needle and all six strands of floss. Big stitch, back stitch, stem stitch, it has been awhile and i am rusty with the names so i just stitch over the light penciled letters. When words are done i add colorful torn strips of my painted fabric at bottom with a simple tacking . One of the strips will attach  with simple knots to the painted chop stick that i thread through the large sleeve at top of flag that i make before the words are stitched. one of the wonderful aspects of these flags is that there are no rules, only do what comes to mind  with what materials are handy and just see what results!

 BE Kind!

Let Love, Shine on, Grace and Kindness find their way to where needed.

So, how do you center yourself in this busy world?

And is art a part of your way?? 

be well, Sonja

.  "And we all shine on!" 

i can almost hear John Lennon singing this..

Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

time out for a little art

Last week i had a few ladies up for a visit and had art supplies handy as they had  an interest in making from cloth some prayer flags, in the mood of some displayed in my studio,

 an assortment of flags I exchanged some time ago in a online art group.

The morning gave us a rainbow greeting!

i had tools for coloring, marking and hand stitching flags available.

As we sat around my painting table we shared stories and light refreshments.  

~Jan and Ilona dressed for fun and paint~

One lady had to leave early and left her flags to dry in the salty air!

A nice start I would say!

These flags, dedicated to loved ones, 

may not be done yet. Perhaps more contrast 

between thread and cloth, plus embellishment....i'll have to wait and see!

You must have rain to have rainbows!

be well, see well, sonja  

the prayer flag project

I read about this project on the prayer flag project blog

   last summer and I knew I wanted to make some after visiting.

  So  this is what I started on Sept. 11, 2011.

theprayerflagproject.blogspot.com

I continue to make them as time allows and have made them into a take along project after I paint the background fabric .
 they are 5 by 8  inches after hemming top sleeve.

I love to paint. fabric loves to receive it. paint to me is  like vitamin P and i never tire of experimenting with  it with intension or random marks of color.

I have filled in the words, with embroidery threads in a very primitive stitch,

drawn by writing with the blue school gel glue before paint goes on .when paint dries i rinse out glue .

the  finished flags are strung with torn selvages of my hand painted fabrics and knotted together . then hung in the air, over a doorway , along a garden fence, from a tree limb., and when i show them, i clip them onto my old wooden hangers.

hope seems to be the word that surfaces first for me.

 some friends have already stated they would like to make some, together.

a good" all skill level" project.  
what does prayer look like to you?

And what a great way to start a new year.