Just Because

I've been chasing another squirrel around the studio. 

Susan Taylor Brown is one of the artists I've been watching on YouTube recently. I appreciate her attitude toward creativity. It's often the very boost I need. Or just enough to keep me from sinking further into the dark abyss reactions to toxins can cause.  Recently she has provided a new focus for my slow stitching or embroidery endeavors. She calls them Just Because books. She happens to love texture as much as anything else but the idea behind Just Because books is that you do whatever makes you happy in one. It may seem odd, but this is a real struggle for me, doing something just because I enjoy it. I prefer to have a purpose for my making. 

I have always loved books so the idea of a textile book really appeals. I've wanted to try my hand at one for some time. That first step is always the hardest! I'm dipping my toes in the water by playing along with Susan and her #BW JustBecauseBook challenge. I have mostly white scraps and trims for the pages of my book so far. I suspect my book will be primarily black on white as my eyes have matured to the point where black on black makes it hard to tell where my needle needs to go. I've started two spreads so far:

And I just received an order of yardage that included a print I want very much to include in my book. 😁

It's a print from Riley Blake's Goose Tales line, Three Blind Mice. I have some skeletal fish somewhere too...

This gives me something to do inbetween rotary cutting and piecing. I still have tendonitis (I'm assuming) in my left elbow but it has improved. Rotary cutting does not help that situation though. The carpal tunnel issue in my right (dominant) hand and forearm has improved as well but still makes its' presence known. So it's slower going these days but at least I'm still going!