Mo'a Romig-Boyles

Cloth to Cloth Workshop and Old Album

This has been a wonderfully productive time for me.  I have been taking an on line cloth to cloth workshop from Jude Hill of Spirit Cloth.

Ken helped me make a little desk in my studio, that I can stand by and work.  There were many years that I could not stand and work...however, now that I am a bionic woman and have two new knees, I relish standing while working.

In this photo is an Anchored Weaving piece that will be in my album that I wrote about here.  The photo in the background is of my Mother and me, it will be on the cover of the album.

Here is a photo of how it will look in the album.  I am still working on how to frame the photo of my cousin and me...the strips you see in this picture are loose.  What do you think?   On or off?

Don't we look cute?  My Mother made the outfits for us...identical shirts and for me a pleated skirt and him short trousers. 
In the next photo is another piece of Anchored Weaving...I felt there was not enough contrast so I used a blue striped fabric as a backing and couched some curly silk thread on top. I am sure the thread has some fancy name that I don't know :)

I love this photo...what a happy child I was and look at the chicken in the top of the photo...priceless.

Some of you were worried about our Rangpur Lemon Tree that I wrote about a couple of posts back...it is fine and full of leaves and some new blossoms...future lemons :)

My Mother's Peonies have been upstaging all the other flowers in her garden. She gave us some to take home and Ken took several photos of these beauties.

I have made a monumental decision...from now on I shall only eat only food containing fruit and vegetables.  I think I will start with one of these. I am calling it my Marie Antoinette diet.

Today 89 degrees...Wow!!! is it possible that summer is here already...Where has time gone?
Have a great Holiday Weekend. 

Vermont and A Delectable Mountain

Ken and I took a weekend trip to Brattleboro, Vermont to meet up with my cousin Ella and her Husband. Ella is taking courses and painting with "The Putney Painters". 

While I was in Brattleboro I visited my all time favorite fabric store "Delectable Mountain".  I was in ecstasy...but somehow had the state of mind to spend only what I could afford...no small feat I tell you :)

I am working on a fabric mini quilt  photo album, using shades of white, beige and soft yellows...when I saw this room/window I said to myself...I could live here or at least spend a day...alas time was short and we had many things to do.
Here is another view of the window room display.

I am taking an on line class from Jude Hill of Spirit Cloth, which has rekindled my love of fabric. 
Odd that in the later years of my Doll making I used paper to cloth my dolls.

When we lived in Saratoga Springs, NY, about twenty years ago, I was using silk fabrics for my dolls...I made many trips to "Delectable Mountain" to revel in the selection of fabrics.
It was about a two and a half hour trip from Saratoga Springs to Brattleboro...this time from my home in NJ it was a six hour trip...that is why I am so happy that I can order from them on line . If you click on this link you will see what I bought several packs of.

They also have laces...I bought a few.  Victorian Style Jewelry and Buttons...I love how they display buttons in various old glass containers...I want to do that...I have numerous containers I could use.

OK!!! back to work.  It was a pleasure to share my finds with you. Do click on the links you will like what you find.

The Old Photo Album

It all started with a comment that my Son made.  He said "We think that Julie looks a lot like you". 
I was thrilled that this thought had crossed their mind.

I borrowed my Mother's old photo album, to look up photos of me when I was Julie's age...one.

 
As long as I can remember I have always loved this album.  It connected me to my Mother's story as well as my own.  The first few pages are photos of my Mother,family and friends.

I was named for the young girl on the left in the sailor suit. She died at the age of 15 and was my Mother's best friend.

The ability to see the photos enlarged on the computer was a thrill for me. I saw details I had not noticed before.
I have always loved the photo of my Mother in the kitchen with the Christmas cakes...I think she looks very glamorous. 
I noticed that on one of the photos that my Birth Father looked like a certain Royal.  Can you see the resemblance...or is it just my imagination?

So many of the photos are scratched and discolored...after many years of little fingers touching them.
I am quite sure if the were closely examined my fingerprints from small up can be found on them...even a lip print or two as I liked to kiss things I loved...still do :)

I am the little girl in the middle on this photo.

My Mother in the early years made all my dresses.  They were very lovely.  She loved ruffles so I had many dresses with ruffles.
I also noticed that in many of the early photos I was very preoccupied...looking at and touching the flowers, as in this photo, or looking at something in my hand.

It was also good to see how loved I was...I always knew that and know it still :) I love seeing the photos of me with my family and family friends.

Each one of these photos are a story in my mind...some that I remember. The majority of them were told to me by my Mother, as we looked at the album together she would tell me my story.

This is a photo of me and some of my cousins, after a fishing trip with an uncle.

My head is full of stories of my childhood and I am tempted to tell them in photos and words. Now how to do that is the next question.