When Your Project Matches Your View

 I am in the beginning stages of pinning up this upcycled dress today and then I went for my walk.

 Apparently Mother Nature approves of my color combinations!

 The base of this dress is a classically shaped Isaac Mizrahi princess seamed frock.  It has some microscopic snags on it so I can't sell it as-is.  But structurally it is sound, it's beautifully made and fully lined so I felt compelled to play with it.

 These photos are a little washed out- no sunshine once I went back to work this afternoon. I will try some more in the morning light tomorrow.

I had a choppy last couple of days, doctor's appointments, repair guys in and out, no concentration to paint. Playing in fabric piles is a happy diversion. Certainly more fun than cleaning house, that's for sure.

Different parts of the brain. Or is it?

 As I have been sewing since I was ten (thanks to mom!) my upcycling work doesn't take a heck of a lot of conscious thought.

 Hunting and gathering skills, yes.  a sense of proportion and form, yes. But analytical thinking? Not so much. Happily, it is play in the process.  (I just realized in posting these photos I have made three changes while pinning.)

 And meditative in the hand stitching process.  I am still more cognizant to my brushwork when I am painting- painfully aware of when a stroke goes where I don't want it to go so fabric is a solace. A mental break and something that refreshes so I can go back to the challenge that is art making to me.

 I know there is a HUGE war about the different between "art" and "craft". I find it somewhat ludicrous.  I see art in a fine seam and exquisite craftsmanship in an oil painting.  Both feed my soul. One is no better than the other.

It's like saying an engineer is more important that a plumbing. Hmmm, wait a minute.  We DO say that.  No disrespect to our engineers, but I can't imagine living without a plumber. Or a cute skirt.