A Good Day's Work,,,,

I wanted to continue sharing my work....I got a lot of interesting things done today, amid crazy storms whirling and pouring on and off....thses three 'onesies' will be completed with some embroidery stitching around the appliques'...

The little white tee shirt has frogs playing the banjo...so cute for girl or boy!

 
and this was just a crazily inspired girls/teens/tweens/ tee shirt
cut out hearts everywhere....love it!!

Creativity Flows in the Tree House...

I want to share some pictures of what I have made so far.
...   I know these aren't great pictures, and I am dealing with my phone and my netbook, so this is as good as I can get them...but...you get the picture!

Treehouse Studio...

I am happily working here in Virginia...the house sits on top and off the side of a mountain.  This place has always been a haven for me and a place where I can conjure up creativity with little or no effort.  I have already finished a couple of cool things, and have more in the line-up for this coming week. 
It feels so good to have this ever-flowing artistic juice coursing through me.  I know that a few weeks ago, when I stayed at my former home, and tried to work in my former studio, I quickly realized that there was no muse there for me anymore.  It was a little sad, and a great deal reaffirming that I don't belong there...and I am glad for the experience, and knowing that I am on the right path with my work and my life. 
I will try to upload some pictures later this week and show off what I am creating here in the treehouse...right now my fingers are itching to get back to work...I keep looking over at my dressform and the partially completed dress that she is wearing, and I am anxious to see what will happen next.  I will be back in a few days...until then, may you feel as peaceful and blessed as I do at this moment....

Time to Take my Shop on the Road...

Yep!  I will be heading for the Virginia mountains in a couple of days. I spent today picking out what I would take to work on...dresses and tops...while I'm up in the treehouse....the magical place full of love that I treasure so much...I always feel so creative there..its in the air and it buzzes all around me the whole while.  It truly is quite amazing.
A couple of weeks ago I went and stayed at the farm where I lived with my family for years, and set up my things in my old studio.  I couldn't make anything.  Everything I tried to do became a jumbled mess.  There is nothing of me left in that place.  After the first couple of days, I gave up.  I spent most of my time outside because I felt more myself there.
I know that it won't be that way in Virginia.  It is and has been a special retreat for me, and I am counting down the hours till I head that way.  I will try to post again while I'm there, and include some pictures.  Just wanted to check in. I didn't realize I'd been away for so long.  I have changed my vending schedule to include new and exciting venues, and I'll be telling you about them in the near future.  Right now I'm off to bed, and will wake up one day closer to my departure...stay safe and live peacefully.

The Merry, Merry Month of May

I can't believe it is May already....mainly because the weather is still stuck in a winterish pattern....
For me, for GoodKharmaReThreads, the past month of weather ups and downs has been a definite issue as far as production (my fibromyalgia doesn't like weather changes) but I have managed to get a few things put together.  Sales have been light, not just for me, for all of my artist friends.  Weather, economy, taxes, and other shopping squashers...well, we will have faith that spring will take hold this month and give us a buffer before summer gets here.

I wanted to share a few of my creations...the first is a stunning top, in a plus size 4X.  Hard for me to show it off on the dress form but I embellished with native Jamaican/African type fabric from a dashiki.  I look forward to its person finding it.  In the meantime, I just may have to wear it over some leggings as a long tunic....maybe even this coming Saturday at the market...you never know....but I digress...

I got several more tops remade, each different from the last....which is always the best part...each piece being original, new, fresh....I'm never bored with my work...I also got a few girls' tops completed...from infant to extra-large....much fun!!!  I have such a good time working on the girls' pieces, and I am getting ready to launch a new category....boys' tops...from baby to teen....I have had many requests from young men and even a few not-so-young...wanting something unique and fun and how can I pass up that opportunity for my own creative growth...so I will be tackling that in the near future, along with my diaper bag prototype...I will be diving into that in another month or so, as I have an order for one to be completed the latter part of June.

All These Adventures

I know that I am way, way behind in blogging. It has been here waiting for me to know what I wanted to say.
I spent this spring cursing the weather for being such a curse, cursing and parting with the full-length mirror that was apparently a source of negative energy that I was taking everywhere that I vended.  I feel like I have gotten realigned with myself and the universe that I serve.  It is good.
I am looking forward to my first time as a vendor at Hillsborough's Last Fridays event on May 31st.  I think it will be a very good venue for GKR, and I will like not having to arise before dawn to get somewhere.
On that note, I plan to get up at the crack of dawn on June 1st to do the Durham Craft Market.  I feel like the first of the month is when people have a little money to spend, so I am going to focus my crack of dawn events to coincide with that fact.  I am learning about the business end of being an artist and how to maximize my chances of producing income so that I can continue to do what I love.
I have also had a few other reckonings lately.  The most significant would have to be that I am presently farm-sitting at my former home and I brought a bunch of dresses to work on while I'm here.  Turns out that there is not an ounce of my creative juju in this house for me.  It has all been relocated.  I can't make anything here but a mess.  So I am making ribbon strips for some bows that I have to have ready for a wedding next weekend.  I think I can't hurt them too much, and if it turns into a mess, I will set it aside until I return home.
GoodKharmaReThreads is the best thing that I have ever created.  I love what I do and feel love going through me into what I make when I'm working.  It is most beautiful.
I will definitely post some pictures with my next blog entry.  I am not on my computer and so I have limited access to my files.
I will definitely show off the bows after I finish them.  I have never made bows, so it is its own kind of adventure.  I have to be a very lucky person to have so many wonderful adventures within my art.
I will go now....have farming things to tend to...more to come this week.  Until I blog at you again, may your days be filled with peace and light.

Is It Spring Yet?

I tell you what, I have had enough of this winter....and it has not been a 'bad' one, but more like a rollercoaster of cold rain and wind and a day or two of fake spring, then back to cold rain and wind.  Not the best climate for a person like me...but I don't let it get me down for long....

I have been working on some clothes....
finally!!  I know that these photos aren't the best...I am using my phone,  as my separation from my husband didn't include custody of the camera (it was not a good camera anyway, and so no worries!!).   
So the dress in the middle of this picture looks completely awful, and is very, very cute when on a shape...I promise!  I was just in a hurry to get proof that I had indeed been doing something productive...silly! I know!
The black dress on the left is a plus size, as is the turquoise tunic on the right.  I plan to make plenty of plus size creations this year.  I feel that it is a niche that needs filling with some attractive and original fashions that don't look like feed sacks and don't make the wearer look bigger or like they are wearing a feed sack.  As I hover in the 'in-between-sizes' place, between plus and regular (sounds like I'm talking gasoline!) I can appreciate the need for flattering clothing of all sizes.  I have alot of ideas to try out, and a whole closet full of raw material to choose from.  

So I just really wanted to let the world know that I'm back in business, back in work, have rejoined the world, etc.  I will be working as much as is humanly possible to prepare for the first day of the Durham Craft Market 2013, which is Saturday, April 6th.  I hope it will be really spring by then....
And here is my latest creation...sorry for the picture quality...it is a dark aubergine linen with a removable belt (could also be used on the head as a scarf or wrap).  The large applique'd piece was lowered before I sewed it on (pinned in picture) because I felt it looked too close to waistline with belt on.  So the picture did serve to show me what I needed to change.  And this is also my sewing cubby, in my studio-bedroom combination.  I am quite fond of my new workspace and living space, too.  It feels so like home and I get great joy from watching the gazillion squirrels in the yard party down every day.  They are wild and funny and drive the cats just crazy! which is also fun to watch!  
I will be posting again this month with some more new fashions and hopefully some bags as well.  I took all of my 'new' bags to the Karma Boutique a few weeks back, so I have many bags to make before April 6th....which I will try to get to this coming week...so stay tuned!
Most of all,  may peace (and the force) be with you...