Smuggled by Emily

In 2013 a facsimile edition of Emily Dickinson’s envelope poems was published by New Directions. The title of the book is The Gorgeous Nothings. Scholars Jen Bervin, Marta Werner, and Susan Howe describe the small scraps of paper with scribbled words in the context of Dickinson’s life and other writing. The book itself is stunningly beautiful with clear and exact reproductions of the flattened envelope pieces on high quality paper alongside a transcription of each word into legible typeface. The fragments are intriguing! These fiber art pieces are inspired by Emily Dickinson. I have created hand-guided, thread script of particularly resonant phrases from the fragments. The fabrics and shapes are reminiscent of Emily Dickinson’s own style of dress AND of the envelope sections on which she wrote.
Smuggled . . .Spry Arms . . . Emily
Gleam and Understand . . . Profound by Accident . . . Emily.
The three sections are ribboned together and hung from a child’s whimsical magic wand or a wooden spoon. ($118. each)

Smuggled by Emily (3 attached pieces, approx. 6” by 8” each) and

Gleam and Understand (3 attached pieces, approx.. 6” by 8” each)

Making

What are you making?
Making a home. Making friends. Making community. Making art. Making poetry. Making sentences. Making time. Making peace. Making rainbow. Making love. Making breakfast, lunch, dinner. Making meaning. Making connections. Making a life. Making cookies. Making space. Making sense. Making balance, more or less. Making possible. Making harmony. Making delight. Making memories. Making surprise. Making whole.

Persnickety Pockets

Persnickety Pockets (Varied: approx.. 5” by 8”)

About two years ago, my friends Rose and Jackie drove several hours to visit and take me out for lunch. I wanted to give them each a small gift I had purchased on a recent trip to China. I didn’t like any of the wrapping options I had at home, so I turned to my sewing table and improvised a cloth gift sack that I could tie at the top with a piece of ribbon. They enjoyed the wrappings as much as the gifts, and I found that once I started, I couldn’t stop! It was like eating potato chips! The colors, shapes, and sizes are the crunch, flavor, and salt that add up to an addiction! I don’t much care for the word bag, so I decided to name these, Persnickety Pockets, a more whimsical tag that hints at the scissors and scraps that snip and swop in the process. Here’s what my own Persnickety Pockets carry: my Kindle e-reader, my favorite silk scarf, small gift loaves of zucchini bread for Thanksgiving, and many other small gifts for friends and family. ($15 to $20)