What is art?

 My favorite comment came from anna_hohoho "I love you [Madonna] and respect oh so much. But russians have freedom, right to chose what they do. But our country is different to America. Events in russian church shows that. Russians can't show their ass in church because its a simbol of being pure like an angel. I don't go to churches. But my granma does. She took part in world war 2. And I don't want her to see pussy riot in there. Because its disrespectful for the memory of winners. So, I really believe that you just want freedom and love. But some times people are different. And freedom are different... I ho[p]e you will understand."

Other Russians commenting had some valid points about the differences in culture. They also mentioned that the "police" in the image are actually not police, but "peacekeepers." One Russian women, alisenok_bg, with some of the best points kept commenting to get her point across, & eventually said Pussy Riot should go "to the countries where people appreciate and encourage so called art." As her frustration with other commenters mounted she began to show her elitist view of art. Having a high-brow opinion of what art is & isn't doesn't negate her other comments, but it brings up the question "Is what Pussy Riot doing art?"

In this Russian woman's mind, it is not art. Based on her comments, I gather she loves her country & culture, & was trying to set the record straight regarding a post by a singer she likes enough to follow on Instagram. Her country, as we could tell by the opening sequence of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, boasts some amazing artists. But that is not the whole story. Let's take Kandinsky.

Reiter (Lyrishes) by Kandinsky 1911, Museum Boijmans Beuningen*

Born in Moscow in 1866, Kandinsky was raised in Ukraine, & studied law at the University of Moscow. But he studied art in Munich (my favorite pieces come from this period), only to return to Russia in 1914 due to World War I. Then with the rise of communism & its strict view of art as "for-the-people" propaganda, he returned to Germany, until 1933, when he moved to France. France is where he created his most significant works & he became a French citizen. Many times his non-representational art was challenged as "not art." 


So, why am I writing about this on my embroidery blog? Haven't all crafters at some point in time wondered if what they create is art? Haven't we had others belittle our work, or creativity? Art is subjective, that's what makes it great. What one person loves, another will hate. Where someone sees a tree, someone else will see the meaning of life wrapped up in years of symbolism. Where a government sees anarchy, an individual sees freedom of expression.

Working on my redwork self portrait

Is what I make art? If you asked me 5 years ago, I would say "no." But now? Now I say "Hell yes!" I am using my chosen medium of thread & fabric to create something as a form of expressing myself. If nothing more than to say a traditional craft like redwork can be used in a different way. My redwork speaks to me. I can only hope that it resonates with others. Kandinsky's work seems to be standing the test of time. We shall see if Pussy Riot will. As for me? I am just hoping to leave a legacy for my daughter, to create, no matter what.


*Image attribution.

Redwork Tree Skirt- Part 4: Finish-Along is complete

Well, I did it! I finished all of the redwork for the custom tree skirt. The only hang up now, is that my mother (& my partner in crime when it comes to putting these pieces into quilts & things) is laid up with a broken ankle. But my part is complete. & done in time to have successfully completed the UFO finish-along!

Panel no. 7 is traced out & tools are gathered

Panel no. 7 is complete

Underside of panel no. 8 in progress

Panel  no. 8 is complete

I have to say, that I really dig redwork with a touch of turquoise. It came out wicked cool as snowflakes. Can't wait to see the whole tree skirt together & underneath Heather's tree next Christmas!

Oh! & a huge "Thank you" to Vicki of the GYB party & all my new followers!

Tea Dye For: White & Black

Snow swirling off my back porch

Big snow storm on Wednesday, right? I get a notice on Facebook that my boss has a snow day. That means I don't have to drive over an hour (one way) to work (library). Now about my other job. Well, it's still snowing pretty hard, I can work from home. Daughter is still snug in her bed (her school announced a snow day the night before), so down I go to tell Mom. No where to be found. I throw on my boots & step out the back door to yell to her to stop shoveling...

She is wearing Dad's bright yellow coat & is FACE DOWN in the middle of the driveway. I run out there. She knows she broke her ankle (she was right- in 3 places). I go wake up Fiona, call 911, grab a garbage bag & head outside...

My aunt meets Mom at the hospital. I stay home with Fiona. Now what to do on an unexpected snow day while I wait to hear about Mom. (She had surgery on Thursday & is resting sorta comfy in her own bed.)

Whooped Fiona's butt on D.A.N.C.E. by Justice

Aside from playing the Wii, in which I trounced said daughter in 100 pin bowling, & more than 1 dance on Just Dance 2 & 3, I was able to do some more tea dyeing.

Youthberry & Wild Orange Blossom white tea

White napkins, table runner, & place mats ready for dye

Pouring the hot tea onto the napkins in a heat resistant bowl

Of course I needed to partake in a cuppa

place mats soaking up the white tea, citrus, & berries

Out of the tea, ready for the dryer

Before & after

After the linens came out of the dryer, I was pleased with the result, even if they came came out a bit more purple.

I decided to do the next batch, napkins & table runner, with a bitter black tea, that was a big dud a few tea parties ago.

Black tea ready for brewing

Pouring the tea over the table runner

Black tea dyed linens & white tea/citrus/berry dyed linens

Now to add some embroidery! I'm thinking some pink leaves with dark brown stems for the pink-ish linens. Maybe even some doodles. Not sure about the other. Suggestions?

Award winning Reindeer

If you are looking for the Grown Your Blog post- click HERE. But feel free to leave a comment on any of my posts. I have the monitoring off for the next week to make it easy to comment. Thank you so much to everyone who has visited! I am so grateful for your help, compliments, suggestions, & follows!


My mother & I have belonged to the Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR) for about 10 years. Last year we decided to enter their art competition for member daughters. In a way it is also an essay contest. So, this year we spent a bit more time in composing our essays that accompany the photographs of the art.

Since this years entries have just been submitted on the state level, I thought I would share my award winning entry from 2013. The theme was something like honor our heritage today... I don't recall the wording. This is what I wrote:

In December 2004, I was at a friend’s house for a holiday party. My daughter Fiona, then 3 ½ years old, & another little girl were bored, so our hostess brought them some paper & crayons. One picture Fiona drew was of the stuffed reindeer toy sitting on the couch with her. I am always on the watch for new embroidery patterns, & had just started embroidering my daughter’s drawings. I immediately thought this one would be perfect. Deciding to use a basic outline stitch in only two floss colors, I tried to mimic the simplicity of the line drawing in embroidery. The child-like fabric bordering the embroidery is subtle. The fabric on the back of the pillow is bold and graphic.
This pillow now graces the living room sofa every holiday season as a family heirloom in the making.

Blue ribbon redwork reindeer embroidered in brown & red

Showing the backing fabric of the pillow

I won the blue ribbon for NY State in embroidery, & advanced to national, but did not win at national. Maybe this year! The above 2 images are of the blue ribbon pillow. & it won a red ribbon at our county fair this past August.

This is one I did in traditional redwork

Redwork is a style of embroidery. Though, traditionally, rendered in red (hence it's name), you can stitch it in any color you want. In the reindeer below, I used 3 colors.

Wall hanging using brown, tan, & red

This one is stitched in blue...

Given to my daughter's grandmother- This reindeer was stitched in blue

Grow Your Blog 2014- Redwork portraits

I began embroidering in 1998 when I started a summer job at the Saratoga Battlefield in upstate NY. All of the other interpretive Rangers had skills when we were stationed at stop 2 on the tour road (the Nielson House), except me. I read for a few weeks, but I had a difficult time putting my book away when visitors arrived. Plus, my introverted nature would allow me to use the book as a crutch. I needed something else. As a kid I did long stitch needlepoint, & remembered enjoying it. Therefore, I decided crewel work & embroidery would be perfect.

Me as an Interpretive Park Ranger in 1998

Now, here I am, nearly 16 years later, still embroidering, & writing/blogging about it! Sharing my work on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram...

My current love is embroidered portraits. Ones that I completed recently are of 2 of my favorite singer/songwriters.

I have loved Richard Marx's music since I 1st heard Should've Known Better on Fly 92.3 FM (Albany, NY) at the ripe old age of 13. I have seen him in concert 3 times, & have all of his albums. I sing along in the car, & on my ipod while I embroider in my room.

Portrait of Richard Marx traced on muslin

I typically trace the pattern, either one I create, or one I buy, on bleached or unbleached muslin using a no. 2 pencil. As I did in the above image.

Generally I watch movies or listen to music while I stitch. Here, I had a night of music movies while stitching.

About half way through embroidering Richard Marx

The finished redwork portrait below. I'm thinking of creating a bunch of embroidered portraits of singers that inspire me & make a quilt out of them...

The finished embroidered portrait of Richard Marx

I re-discovered Gavin DeGraw when he appeared on Dancing With the Stars. I bought his current album then, & started listening to his 1st album that I got when I worked at Borders in Saratoga Springs, NY. (Oh, how I miss Borders.) Now I have all of his albums & listen to them almost as much as the a fore mentioned Mr. Marx.

Traced out and ready to stitch- Gavin DeGraw

 I love redwork embroidery for 2 reasons.
1.) Red is my favorite color & that's why I was originally drawn to it.
2.) it is very simple & clean. By simple I mean crisp, uncluttered, unpretentious, not easy. There is still a certain level of mastery required, though it is great for beginners because it, typically, only requires mastery of 3 different stitches (back stitch or outline stitch, french knots & lazy daisy).

I love the way this portrait came out. It is casual,  & slightly primitive, but modern in its own way.

Gavin DeGraw portrait completed

Thank you for visiting!
Tisha
Aprilsongstress
 aprilsongstress@gmail.com
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For the complete lists of blogs participating on Grown Your Blog 2014 click here.

Redwork Tree Skirt- Part 3: Finish-Along is coming along...

Well, I have finished panels 5 & 6 for my sistar's tree skirt. Hopefully I can get 7 & 8 done this weekend. I have book club Saturday with 3 of my closest friends & should be able to start 7 there, as I have it already traced out. I'll have to stitch early on Sunday because my Seattle Seahawks play the 49ers in the evening & there is no way I can stitch during that game. Too crazy!

Oh, follow me on twitter to see what I am stitching in the moment & what I am watching while I do it. Twitter- @aprilsongstress with the hashtag #MovieToStitchTo...

Panel no. 5 completed

Gathering the tools of the trade to start stitching

Panel no. 6 is finished

I'll keep you updated on my progress! How are you doing on your Finish-Alongs?

Click here for an UPDATE!

Redwork Tree Skirt- Part 2: Finish-Along here I come...

So... (Wait. I start a lot of blog posts with "So..." I really need to fix that. It's so boring.)

Here we go...

I have decided that 2014 is my year. I will turn 40 in April, & I am sick & tired of waiting for my life to start. I am living it right now. It is nearly half over, right? What am I waiting for? Change isn't coming. Change happens all the time. Whether we are expecting it or not.

This year I have already started another blog that I have been meaning to start for a few years now. I've started keeping a diary again. I re-worked my Etsy shop to focus only on embroidered portraits, child's drawings in embroidery, & embroidered hand prints. All custom orders. I'm continuing on the weight-loss/ healthy me journey I started in Sept 2012. (Thanks for the gym membership Mom & Dad!) & today, I am starting the Finish-Along project hosted by &Stitches!

What UFOs of the embroidery kind do I have lurking? Lots! The 1st requiring my immediate attention is the UnFinished Object know as my sistar's Christmas present.

Last night I finished the 4th panel of 8. 4 down, 4 to go! I think I may add some turquoise (DMC #3846) to the 2nd panel too!

Finished panels 2, 3, 4

Next step: tracing out panel #5 & get stitching!


BTW: There is no antonym for procrastination.

Click for an UPDATE!