Artist of Life, Drawing from Within

Artist of Life, Drawing from Within – Part II by Patti Lightflower

“Embraced by the colors of sunrise, I begin anew”

Working with textiles is in my genes as likely they are in yours too. An ancestral gift is passed down giving us an inner desire to make for ourselves what we need in our everyday lives. We turn functional crafts into treasures as we pour out our hearts through our hands into our work.

Comfort foods and comfort clothing are important to our wellbeing. I made myself a quilted cocoon jacket many years ago in the colors of the sunrise and it is not only comfortable to wear but a comfort to wrap myself into its soft texture and the color combination a pleasure for the eyes even on cloudy days. I love how it’s faded over time and softened with age.

Apron Strings, Wings & Things

Aprons and pinafores are made for protection against stains, spills and the snags of life. Join us in making an apron from an oversized denim or plain cotton shirt. Take this journey with us in making a special garment to enjoy and cherish that is filled with meaning and care. Be prepared to experience along the way motivating feelings of satisfaction, productivity and ingenuity.

Visualizing how you want your journey to emerge and evolve is a good place to begin. There are several patterns easily available on the internet to make an apron from a shirt. You can use the front or the back, have ties at the waist and at the neck, or a cross over style which I’ve illustrated here.

Once you’ve chosen how you’d like the apron to look and fit, the large surface becomes a canvas for individual expression. We can garnish with threads, paints, applique, fabric markers, buttons, beads and whatever your imagination inspires.

I’ll guide you along with how I’m making mine and please feel free to email photos of your work, ideas and feelings that arise during the process of making your own apron. Pattilightflower2@gmail.com

Grab your shirt and scissors and we’ll begin.

a) Cut away collar and sleeves and keep for use later.

b) Cut side seams to separate front from back. I’ve chosen to use the back.

c) Fold back in half, shoulder to shoulder and cut as drawn in sketch.

This leaves you with the back panel ready to begin. You can hem the sides or embroidery around the edges. Another idea would be to cut strips of another thinner fabric on the bias and bind the edges. Pockets are great panels for embroidery, painting or stamping. Sketch out some ideas; perhaps a verse or some words of inspiration would be something you’d like to add.

About the Author: “I’ve always enjoyed working with textiles. As a child I watched my grandmother turn colorful cotton feed bags into play clothes. I designed and made dresses for my dolls from scraps of fabric and shoes for them from orange peels, which I pretended were leather. I’ve taken art classes at the University of Cincinnati in the 70’s, and have studied with textile artists at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, as well as with many other professionals in their studios over the years. My long time passion has been the study of hands and their owners, being creative and expressing my artistic side allows for manifesting something tangible whereas reading hands is more esoteric. Occasionally, I offer small group sessions for working with dyeing silk and other fun creative projects that allow freedom of expression and finding that within heart is art.”

Patti Lightflower can be contacted at pattilightflower2 @gmail.com and more information can be found at her website: www.ireadhands.com